KEY POINTS:
The ex-husband of missing Auckland tramper Irina Yun has promised their 4-year-old daughter he will bring her mother home alive.
Oleg Amitov believes his former wife is still alive, despite searchers holding little hope of rescuing the 36-year-old photographer and web designer.
Mr Amitov last spoke to his and Ms Yun's daughter Liann before he flew south from Auckland to be close to the rescue operation, on Sunday.
"She knows her mother is missing. I have promised her that I will be coming home with her mum," he said.
The pair share joint custody of Liann, who is being looked after by friends at Ms Yun's Laingholm Beach house in Auckland, Mr Amitov said.
Mr Amitov, a registered practitioner of Chinese medicine, says he has been channelling his former wife's chi-gong (life force) with assistance from other Auckland-based practitioners.
Ms Yun has the spirit of a survivor, he said. "We want to focus on finding and keeping her alive."
Ms Yun's "dan tien", or life structure, was still capable of channelling chi-gong and he was doing all he could to concentrate on her wellbeing.
Mr Amitov said he could "sense" that his ex-wife was still alive, but was weak and possibly in a coma.
He believed he could "feel" that she was underneath "something large - possibly a rock" and was above a steep drop, where water flowed below.
"It probably wouldn't make sense to most people," he said.
Mr Amitov was born in Moscow, Russia, while Ms Yun is of Korean descent and was raised in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.
The couple met in Russia and wed after they emigrated separately and met in Auckland.
Mr Amitov flew into the West Matukituki Valley on Monday accompanied by mutual friend Callum Wallach to conduct a private search.
He had sensed Ms Yun's location, minutes before being radioed and told on Monday that her pack had been found.
Searchers have acknowledged that the chances of finding Ms Yun alive are "relatively slim".
Her pack was found in the swollen Dart River, about 300m downstream from the Dart hut, which was Ms Yun's destination when she left Aspiring Hut in the West Matukituki Valley on New Year's Eve.
Adverse weather conditions on that day have continued during the past week, with snow, sleet, heavy rain and high winds pounding the mountains.
Wanaka LandSAR alpine team leader Gary Dickson said a final search would take place once prevailing weather conditions cleared, "probably by Saturday or Sunday".
The final search would focus on the gorge section of the Dart River, near where the pack was found. "It's a tricky area and we don't want to put the rescuers at undue risk."
The gorge was flowing fast with water and had huge garage-sized boulders that searchers would be looking underneath, he said.
The Cascade Saddle track down to the Dart Hut runs alongside the Dart River and crosses four "big" side creeks feeding into the main river.
The most probable scenario was that Ms Yun had been swept away while crossing one of these, Mr Dickson said.
There was a likelihood Ms Yun might be located under a boulder, but he doubted she remained alive given the length of time and adverse weather during the past week.
Mr Amitov said he understood the situation when police and search co-ordinators told him there was little hope of finding Ms Yun alive.
"When they tell me, I am aware realistically. But then I remember the amount of work we [Chinese medical practitioners] have done to keep her alive and I can't agree with their way of thinking. I promised to bring her back to Liann."
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
