Ashley Gorge Canterbury

The search for 83 year old Allan HILL is continuing today in North Canterbury.

Search teams are concentrating on an area off the route used by Mr HILL to gain access to his trapping line.

Mr HILL, from Loburn, has been missing since Wednesday when he went into the bush at Ashley Gorge to lay a line of possum traps. He was not equipped for an overnight stay and conditions in the area have been very cold and windy with fresh snow on the tops.

Search coordinator Sergeant Ryan O’Rourke says conditions in the area today area extremely windy once again, meaning a Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois helicopter cannot be used. It will remain on standby in Christchurch and may be able to be deployed this afternoon. The search area today is lower down and is able to be accessed by search teams on foot.

25 Police and LandSAR personnel have been deployed today, including two LandSAR and two Police dog teams.