‘ There are new faces every time we search’

The family of missing Torbay woman Patricia “Pat” Wearn have thanked the community for their help as they desperately search to find their loved one.

Wearn, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, has not been seen since she left her Caversham Drive home for her daily walk on January 16.

The 73- year- old’s son, Andy Wearn, and his wife met with Torbay woman Gemma Cappel, who has been working tirelessly to co- ordinate hundreds of volunteers in the search for Pat.

“They are just so grateful to the community for everything they’ve done and what everyone’s continuing to do,” Cappel told the Weekend Herald.

“Obviously they would like an outcome. They would like her to be found.”

Cappel, who had never met Wearn or her family prior to her disappearance, decided to set up the Local Community Support for Pat Wearn Facebook page where she has posted about an organised community search most days.

“I thought ‘ that could be my nana and if it was my nana, I would appreciate any help I could get to find her,” she said.

The page has attracted almost 2000 people. The community’s efforts to find Wearn have continued despite the official search being suspended on Monday after hundreds of police, LandSAR, Navy, Airforce, Civil Defence and Fire Service personnel failed to find any sign of the elderly woman.

Waitemata Police Inspector Claire Humble said on Monday that they had consulted with medical experts who have expertise in survival and “sadly the time period in which Mrs Wearn could be expected to survive has . . . well passed”.

“We are aware it may have turned into a search and recovery but we want to bring her back to her family,” said Cappel.

Cappel said people from not only Torbay but the whole North Shore are doing all they can to bring Wearn home.

“It has renewed my faith in humanity. We have a group who have relentlessly helped since the beginning but also have new faces every time we search.”

This includes people providing searchers with food and drink, handing out flyers and creating maps to keep track of which areas have been searched.

One woman raised more than a hundred dollars by leaving a collection cup at a local petrol station, which will be used to provide searchers with hot drinks.

“Although we are all meeting for a sad reason, it has brought the community together like never before.”