‘Grave concerns’ for missing man
Police are searching a property where missing Southland man Dale Watene was last seen nearly three weeks ago – the home of a woman he had been in a relationship with.
It comes as they say they have ‘‘grave concerns’’ for his safety.
Watene, the father of a 5-year-old boy, went missing on April 16, a day after his 40th birthday.
His truck, a blue 1995 Isuzu sports utility vehicle, registration CGE 638, was found two days later at Holt Park in Otautau, about 40 kilometres northwest of Invercargill. The battery had been removed and diesel was pooling on the ground.
On the day he disappeared, Watene, described as 183 centimetres tall and thin, had been drinking at a home in Sorn St, Otautau, where a woman he’d been seeing lived.
He apparently left there in the early evening to go and buy alcohol, but never returned.
Yesterday, police were examining the Sorn St property.
The woman who lives there did not respond to requests for comment.
A police spokesperson said police held ‘‘grave concerns’’ for Watene’s safety.
‘‘Given increasing concerns for Mr Watene, police are very interested in any information which may relate to his whereabouts and continue to assess all information received.’’
On Friday, Stuff reported a suspicious fire had destroyed a Clifden Gorge Rd home, which was linked to Watene’s employer, on Thursday afternoon.
The police spokesperson said investigators had found no link between Watene’s disappearance and the fire.
The last call from Watene’s cellphone was made about 9.30pm on April 16, but the recipient didn’t answer, and his bank card hasn’t been used since he bought about $200 worth of groceries on his birthday.
There are fears he owed money to the wrong people and might have been killed. But noone can find any trace of the groceries he bought, suggesting he might be hiding somewhere.
Watene grew up in Huntly and moved to Southland about 15 years ago for work.
Covid-19 restrictions have prevented his family from travelling south to help with the search.