Missing New Zealanders down to three

Even as two New Zealand families were rejoicing at the news their loved ones had turned up safe and well a week after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, three other New Zealand nationals are still unaccounted for.

Earlier today there were four families searching for loved ones, but this afternoon MFAT spokeswoman Emma Reilly said one of the families had contacted their relative.

The three missing New Zealanders are all permanent US residents, not tourists, Ms Reilly said.

Grave fears had been held for the safety of New Zealand man Brendan Clifford-Walsh, 65, who had been missing since the day before the hurricane struck.

His family in Auckland feared the worst when he failed to make contact. But today they learned from the Irish Consulate in New Zealand that he was safe.

Mr Clifford-Walsh's daughter, Melanie McCahill, said she had yet to speak to her father but the family was greatly relieved.

"It's amazing. We are so relieved," she said.

She said her father had initially been in the Superdome, the scene of some of the worst anarchy and violence in the disaster's aftermath, before being evacuated to Dallas.

Mr Clifford-Walsh, who had already survived the London bombings in July and a beating in India, was now heading to San Francisco on his way back to New Zealand.

"We couldn't have hoped for a better result," Mrs McCahill said.

Another New Zealand man is reported to have made contact with his family overnight.

Nathan Crispin, 32, who moved to New Orleans in March, stayed behind when his wife left the city before the storm, because he was worried about their property.

His aunt, Auckland woman Diane Crispin, was reported as saying Mr Crispin had finally managed to contact his wife overnight to say he was safe. 

MFAT said while the ministry had not been informed by the family that Mr Crispin was safe, other reports indicated this was the case.

- NZPA