Still some hope for missing tramper

Sergeant Dene Duthie

A doctor specialising in outdoor survival has given searchers hope missing tramper Anshan Yang could still be alive in bush south east of Auckland.

However, searchers believe after four nights in the bush Mr Yang will be cold and unresponsive and would probably not be found unless searchers actually stumbled on him.

"We are looking probably for a non-responsive, non-mobile missing person," said search head Senior Sergeant Dene Duthie.

He said if Mr Yang was sheltering under a bush or ferns he could be two metres from searchers and still not be seen.

Mr Yang has been missing since Sunday when he disappeared in bush in the Hunua ranges during a walk with his sister and nephew.

An intensive search since then had failed to find any sign of Mr Yang and police said every day he was out in the bush concern that he would not be found alive grew.

Mr Duthie said police had almost run out of options and after another day of intensive searching today they would consider winding down the search effort.

However, he said a survival doctor had visited the search base yesterday and spoke about surviving in bush and cold conditions.

He said Mr Yang was a vegetarian which may help as he had no food with him and was only lightly clad.

"He doesn't need the body fat and sugar to keep ticking over like we do. I was quite surprised at that."

He said the doctor's visit gave the search team encouragement and many of the volunteers decided to come back for another day.

"We haven't given up total hope although obviously after today it is going to be a different story but for our searchers it just lifts them up a bit and that is the main thing."

He said the search team, including volunteers and the search management, had put in long long hours with some already having clocked up more than 80 hours since Mr Yang was reported missing on Sunday.

He said after today the search would probably wind down because they had nowhere else to look.

Like many people who became lost in the bush, Mr Yang may not have been aware of the effort that went into a search and the importance of staying put once he knew he was lost, Mr Duthie said.

Mr Yang had been in New Zealand for nine years.

- NZPA