Searchers battle hidden bluffs in race to find tourist

An Air Force Iroquois searches yesterday near a bluff in the Kauaeranga Valley where Robert Atkin went missing. Picture / Amos Chapple

Rescue teams will today continue the search in Coromandel bush for missing English tourist Robert Atkin after another fruitless day trying to find him.

Mr Atkin has been missing in dense bush in the Kauaeranga Valley, near Thames, since last Wednesday.

Waikato police spokeswoman Kris McGehan said a team of 40 searchers would return to the bush today. She said they would probably review in the next few days whether to continue.

Mr Atkin, 26, is a relatively experienced tramper but not in New Zealand bush and he is not believed to be well-equipped with food or clothing for New Zealand conditions.

He disappeared in bush described by search controller Steve Hayman as "absolutely horrendous".

Mr Hayman said yesterday that the team was confident there was a good chance Mr Atkin was still alive.

"We are concentrating on a large area with a number of dog teams at the moment but then from there we will be putting teams back in to search certain areas."

Search teams were using whistles in the bush in the hope of getting a response. An Air Force Iroquois helicopter was also helping.

Mr Hayman said it was difficult to pinpoint the area where Mr Atkin may have last been.

The area was some of the worst and most dangerous on the Coromandel Peninsula with "hidden bluffs and cliffs" in the dense bush. Some teams were making 100m progress in 12 hours of searching.

- NZPA