‘We just want to find him’

For the past week Raymond Stirling’s family have traipsed through backyards, waded the waters of the Waikato River and pushed through grassed banks.

They’ve clung to the hope they’d find any sign of the missing

84-year-old great-grandfather who disappeared from his Hamilton home a week ago.

Love of family and ‘‘overwhelming support’’ from strangers who turned out in droves to help scour the northern suburbs has helped get them through, his daughter Kim Kelly said. But as the search enters the eighth day and police move their focus to the river, the family face a tough reality.

‘‘Police have said survival is up to eight days,’’ Kelly said as family gathered on the banks of the Waikato River yesterday morning.

‘‘If he’s gone further afield it’s possible he could be alive. There’s always a chance but it’s not probable.’’

Stirling, who suffers from mild dementia and is of frail walking ability, was dropped at his Halcione Close home amid the overhanging trees and cobbled streets of Flagstaff by family around 8pm on Monday, January

15. They had just spent a week at the beach together.

When help services arrived around 11 the following Tuesday morning there was no sign of Stirling.

‘‘It’s really hard, not knowing where he is. We just really want to find him,’’ Kelly said.

Family believe the greatgrandfather likely left his home sometime in the early morning, perhaps around 5.30am, when he typically woke and used to leave for work. It’s not known exactly what he was wearing but it’s likely he was in navy trackpants and white sneakers with red stripes on the sides.

He needs a walker and a walking stick to get around but both were left behind.

‘‘As a family we think he is close to home, but it’s hard to tell. Even with mild dementia, he might have got it into his head to go a long way. It’s just the unknown.’’

Together with police and Land Search and Rescue volunteers, family have gone door to door searching areas within a

2-kilometre radius of his home. They have visited shopping centres around Hamilton, Nga¯ ruawha¯ hia and Huntly, where Stirling lived and worked as a butcher in his earlier days.

Posters have been stuck to footpaths and bus stops. Not one clue has been found.

‘‘We have really had no leads at all. For two days my cousin has walked up and down the river, up to his waist in water, checking the sides. We just don’t know where. It’s a bit of a needle in a haystack.’’

Over the weekend family ran a search parallel to police for those volunteering to help. Hundreds turned out.

‘‘We were absolutely humbled by the lines of people going out in the hot sun who searched morning and night, perfect strangers who turned out to help.’’

Stirling lost the ‘‘love of his life’’, his wife Margaret, three years ago, Kelly said.

‘‘Everyone adored him, he never complained about anything. He was just an absolutely gorgeous guy, I’m going to miss him so much.’’

Waikato police Search and Rescue Sergeant Vince Ranger said searchers were focused on the Waikato River – around 800 metres from Stirling’s home. The police boat was searching the river from the Wairere bridge down to the footbridge at Horotiu.

Anyone who has information can call Hamilton police on 07 858

6200.