Police searching for an Argentinian tramper who fell into a river in Mt Aspiring National Park have found items believed to belong to the man.
Hector Gaston Artigau, 21, was reported missing on February 6 after he fell from a rock and failed to resurface on a trip with two friends, Blas Antonelli and Santiago Ponce, who worked with him at an Alexandra cherry orchard.
On Thursday, police said they had found a number of “personal items” along the river.
“Search efforts in the last two days have been hampered by extreme hazards and limited visibility, resulting in a brief suspension of the search on Tuesday afternoon,” a spokesperson said.
“Today the police national dive squad and Wānaka LandSAR swift water rescue team will search an area of the canyon with an underwater camera and light equipment.”
Artigau’s Leaning Rock Cherries co-worker Karen McSkimming has set up a Givealittle page to help bring his mother from Argentina to New Zealand.
She said she and fellow orchard workers Erin Bennie, Antonelli and Ponce wanted to do something to help his mother, who was struggling with his disappearance.
“We were feeling helpless, we didn’t know what to do, but wanted to do something,” she said.
“His family are understandably devastated and worried, this is a highly stressful time for them. His mother just wants to get here to be closer to her son and find out as much information as she can about what has happened.”
The page has so far received more than $13,000 in donations, including a contribution from a person who said they were in the park that day.
“Wish I could be there helping as I have bouldered up that river twice and was there the day of the tragedy but left before it happened,” they said.
Others left messages of support for his family, even offering places for them to stay in Wānaka.
McSkimming said the donations would be an immense help.
“The money will be used to help with all airfares here in New Zealand, visas, travel costs and everything associated with being on the other side of the world while they are looking for Hector,” she said.
“We are all feeling very lost and heartbroken, especially for Hector’s mum, family and friends, not only back home but all the new friends Hector has made on his travels here in New Zealand.”
rnz.co.nz
