Search for missing boy suspended

Mike Zhao-Beckenridge. Photo / supplied

Police have today suspended the in-water search for missing Invercargill boy, Mike Zhao-Beckinridge and his stepfather, John Beckenridge.

An assessment was made this morning by the Police National Dive Team and conditions had deteriorated to a point where it was unsafe and the in-water search has been suspended.

The tidal conditions will continue to be monitored and when they have improved the dive team will return to resume the search.

"Even though the dive team has been unable to identify anything due to the conditions, police have located a number of car parts," said Inspector Kelvin Lloyd, Police Area Commander Southland.

"We can confirm that a number of these car parts have been identified as having come from the Volkswagen Touareg we are looking for, however the divers cannot confirm at this time that the car is in the water."

"Mike's backpack was also located in the wider area of interest, however we still have no indication that either Mike or John are around that location."

The discovery of car wreckage in Curio Bay yesterday has left police with grave fears for the safety of missing 11-year-old Mike Zhao-Beckenridge.

Detective Sergeant Mark McCloy, of Invercargill CIB, said the police national dive team had found more items of interest under Curio Bay's cliffs.

"There's been some further car parts located.

"We are in the process of trying to identify what kind of vehicle they are from."

It is understood police are keeping an open mind about the location of the pair and their fate, but

Mr McCloy said fears for the duo's safety were "ongoing".

From atop an 88m cliff, police and LandSAR crew used binoculars to identify what was believed to be an oil slick. It is now marked by an orange buoy and divers are attempting to search the sea floor beneath it.

He could not rule out the pair had changed vehicles.

"This is only one aspect of the inquiry, one point of interest to the inquiry that we are working through to resolve," he said.

"We've got a number of staff working on other inquiries. We're still working very hard to return Mike to his mother."

It has been 12 days since Mike's estranged stepfather, John Beckenridge, took the boy from his school in Invercargill.

Since then, police have received one confirmed sighting of the pair, near Slope Point in the Catlins on March 16.

Det Sgt McCloy implored Mr Beckenridge to contact police.

He also called for any further information from the public which might assist the search.

"I would ask for people to stay alert and report any sightings to police," he said.

The pair were thought to be travelling in a dark blue Volkswagen Touareg station wagon, with the registration number DUY263.

Mike is 1.65m tall, of solid build and of Asian descent. John Beckenridge is 1.75m tall, of medium build and of Swedish descent

As police still have no indication of the whereabouts of Mike and John, we are still dependant on sightings of Mike and John throughout the Southland region, and urge anyone who still has information to contact Police.

John Beckenridge is also known as John Robert Lundh, Knut Goran Roland Lundh, or John Bradford. Mr Beckenridge is Mike's estranged stepfather.

Anyone with information that might assist in locating the pair should contact the Southern District Command Centre on 03 471-5002.

Information can also be provided anonymously to the organisation Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.