Family ‘wrecked’ as search suspended Horses given second chance
Southern police have suspended the search for missing Dunedin man Stephen Lowe while they ‘‘work to establish further areas of interest.’’
Lowe left work on Portsmouth Drive, Dunedin, about 10am on September 15, and has not been seen or heard from since.
Lowe’s wife, Liz Carroll-Lowe, broke the news of the suspended search to followers on social media on Sunday evening.
‘‘It is with a great deal of sadness and shock that the formal police search for Steve has been called off. After intense searching by Landsar [sic] volunteers for the last six days there has been absolutely nothing found to indicate where in the bush he might be,’’ the post said. Her family was ‘‘wrecked’’ but grateful for support, and planned to launch a private search to continue to establish her husband’s whereabouts.
‘‘The family is wrecked, emotionally and physically but we thank you all for your messages and acts of support.
‘‘Many many other options have been explored. Some discounted - others remain open. We are to organise a private search in coming weeks so please let me know if you wish to be part of this,’’ the post said.
‘‘Our darling, much loved Steve remains out there somewhere alone. Our goal is still to bring him home ... He was too good of a man to forget easily.’’
Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley said the land and water search had been suspended pend- ing a further reassessment of areas of interest.
She was liaising with the Lowe family yesterday morning.
‘‘Understandably, they are devastated that he has not yet been located despite the extensive search efforts.’’
Fairley renewed her appeal for information from anyone who may have been in the Catlins or McLean Falls area from Friday, September 15 to Monday, September 18.
‘‘It’s possible that tourists may not be tuned into local media and not yet be aware that police are seeking information.
‘‘We’ve also notified airports, vehicle rental companies, iSites and various other local organisations,’’ she said. Anyone who may have seen Lowe was is asked to contact police. A team of horses destined for the meatworks have been offered a lifeline working for a new trekking business in Cromwell.
Goldfields Mining Centre is now home for the ex-trotters and pacers, whose new job is carrying tourists through the DOC reserve.
Owner Karolin van Onna said many of these types of horses ended up at the meatworks after their short racing careers.
Standardbreds were well suited to trekking because of their gentle nature and reliability, she said.
‘‘They sometimes retire them from racing at only 5 years old. It’s nice to be able to give them a good home, they have a pretty great life here and we can put beginners on them because they are so chilled.’’
van Onna moved to Cromwell two years ago from Germany and is enjoying sharing the area’s goldmining history with visitors.
‘‘People experience the landscape very differently by horseback, it’s quite a special thing for many visitors that might not have ever ridden.’’
The treks follow trails around the historic reserve, which was mined commercially for more than 100 years.
Visitors could also walk the trails and take guided tours, go jet boating at one of Cromwell’s longest-running tourism ventures, as well as dine at Wild Earth’s restaurant.
The biggest drawcard had not changed in a century and the prospect of finding even a speck of gold continued to excite visitors. The reserve itself could not be disturbed but gravels bought from about 2km down-river for people to pan often produced colour.
van Onna’s knowledge of goldfield’s history was developing and she hoped to attract locals and newcomers to Cromwell on the treks to help them discover the area and its history.