The official search has been called off for Koyren Campbell, missing off the Wellington coast since Sunday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The official search has been called off for Koyren Campbell, missing off the Wellington coast since Sunday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The desperate search for a young kayaker missing for six days off the Wellington coast has now been suspended.
Emergency services, family and friends have been searching for Koyren Campbell, 22, ever since he failed to return from a fishing trip at noon on Sunday.
Police reported on Friday it was believed Campbell was no longer alive.
Senior Sergeant Dave Houston said teams finished a grid search of Tarakena Bay yesterday.
"The decision to suspend a search is never taken lightly, and Mr Campbell's family have been made aware," he said.
While the official search has been called off, Campbell's employer, D-Fluff Insulation company director David Downer is pulling together members of the community to search the coastlines on jet-skis on Saturday.
They planned to meet at Moa Point to depart at 9am, and Downer asked for anyone with jetski experience to assist in the search.
A statement from Campbell's family described him as a "young man who made the most of every day".
"He absolutely loved the outdoors and was a keen hunter and fisherman.
"He was a wonderful person with plenty of plans for his future alongside his girlfriend of four years."
The statement read that although they did not know all the facts of Campbell's disappearance, they knew he had been doing what he loved "catching a lot of fish with a bar of chocolate in his pocket".
They expressed their gratitude to everyone who had been involved in the search, including the Police Search and Rescue, Maritime and Dive Units, the NZ Navy and Air Force, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, the Nelson Rescue helicopter, the Airport Rescue boats and the Coastguard.
Koyren Campbell loved the outdoors and was a keen hunter and fisherman. Photo / Supplied
"We would especially like to thank the volunteers who gave up their time to help search under harrowing circumstances with poor weather, including LandSAR and the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications team, as well as other community members who contributed hugely with the search," the statement read.
"We have been made well aware of the efforts that you have gone to and would like to say a big thank you from us all, your time and effort means the world to us.
"We would particularly like to acknowledge and thank the Police SAR operation for their efforts to locate Koyren, we cannot find words to express our gratitude."
They also thanked those who had contributed to a Givealittle page that had been set up for the search efforts and intended to donate the remaining funds to the search and rescue teams involved.
They said the outpouring of love they had received during Campbell's disappearance had been "indescribable".
"The loss of Koyren has devastated all the people in his life," they said.
"Koyren has not been located at this time, however we remain hopeful for the sea and tide to return him."
