Police investigating the disappearance of missing Gisborne man Joseph Ahuriri have ended their search of the beach near the mouth of the Esk River in Hawke’s Bay.
Investigations into Ahuriri’s disappearance took place over the last two days, where two excavators could be seen combing through an area of beach with assistance from police in high-visibility vests.
The search started after a 2023 magnometer drone survey highlighted a metal-like object around five metres below the surface.
Around 2000 cubic metres of sand was moved but no items of interest were located.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate Joseph or any items of interest in relation to his disappearance,” Detective Sergeant Alex Simister said.
“The result of this search is a disappointing one for us.
“We have been committed to finding Joseph since he went missing 14 months ago.
“I want to acknowledge the resilience of his family throughout this operation.
“They were present at the river throughout the search and were obviously hopeful for some form of resolution.”
Ahuriri, a father of eight, was last seen on February 14, 2023 fuelling his white Toyota Hilux at Waitomo Fuel Stop in Bay View, Napier as he attempted to make his way home to Gisborne around the time of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Extensive searches involving police, the Defence Force and Urban Search and Rescue have been carried out since Ahuriri first went missing over a year ago.
Areas around Whakatu, Clive, Esk Valley, along the Napier-Taupo Rd, State Highway 5 and State Highway 2, in addition to many of the rural roads off SH5 and SH2 have all been included in the widespread search.
In February, a GNS-led magnometer drone scan was conducted in the Eskdale area with hope it could provide new information from below the silt-level as to what happened.
Investigators have been unable to find Ahuriri’s vehicle.
Police have previously said they didn’t believe Ahuriri’s disappearance was related to Cyclone Gabrielle, but couldn’t rule it out entirely.