Search for missing helicopter enters its fourth day

Photo / File

The search for a missing helicopter has entered its fourth day.

On Tuesday, Damian Webster was flying from Karamea on the West Coast to Nelson when his Robinson 44 helicopter disappeared.

Search and rescue teams in helicopters are now airborne, and ground teams are also resuming their search.

Searches of dense forest near Nelson failed to find any sign of Mr Webster or his helicopter yesterday.

Four helicopters and five ground teams were looking for the helicopter in Kahurangi National Park, 35km west of Motueka.

The Rescue Coordination Centre said this morning at least as many personnel would be involved in today's search.

Mr Webster's family have not given up hope.

"Like every family in a situation like this everybody is waiting and wondering and worrying like hell because we don't know anything," Damian's uncle Peter Webster said earlier. "It's just wait and wait and wait and hope to hell they can find him."

High winds obstructed helicopters searching on Wednesday afternoon. Conditions were better but yesterday but no breakthroughs were made.

Up to twenty searchers in five teams, a rescue dog, and helicopters have been involved in the search.

No emergency beacon signal had been detected from the missing helicopter and the search area was based on information from the helicopter's tracking system.

"Things are more challenging on the ground and the teams are conducting contour searches, following the lay of the land," Rescue Coordination Centre's Neville Blakemore said. "The area is covered in very steep ravines so it is very hard work, but the people on the ground are well-trained and committed to a comprehensive search."

The aircraft was believed to belong to Helicopter Charter Karamea.

Two helicopters left Karamea about 8am Monday to fly to Nelson. The pilot of the second helicopter raised the alarm about noon that day when Mr Webster did not arrive in Nelson when expected.

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