Yachtie may have meant to vanish
"We are aware there are some issues around some court orders in relation to the child and it is an avenue of inquiry as to whether Mr Langdon simply doesn't want to be found and has left the country by means other than going through official border control." Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Ambler, Waikato police
Waikato police are looking into the possibility that missing yachtie Alan Langdon has purposely disappeared with his daughter.
Police are working with Interpol and checking bank accounts in the search despite possible sightings of his vessel near Northland.
Langdon and six-year-old Que were last seen on December 17 when they set sail on a white 7-metre catamaran from the Kawhia wharf.
Police were told they were heading to the Bay of Islands for Christmas, but never arrived.
They have not been heard from or seen since but police said the focus of the search effort is currently in the Northland area, as there had been sightings of a vessel similar to Langdon’s heading in that direction over the last few days.
The catamaran is white with blue antifoul below the waterline and is unnamed but has the number T878 on the sail.
On Thursday police requested help from the New Zealand Defence Force which sent up an Orion P3 plane to check the coastline from Kawhia to Northland. A spokesman said nothing was found.
Waikato police Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Ambler said there was no record of the pair leaving the country through any legitimate means.
‘‘We are aware there are some issues around some court orders in relation to the child and it is an avenue of inquiry as to whether Mr Langdon simply doesn’t want to be found and has left the country by means other than going through official border control.’’
Langdon was a very capable and confident sailor, Ambler said, but police were concerned for the safety of the father and daughter.
‘‘Que has almost been raised at sea and is very confident aboard a vessel, but obviously we do have concerns as it has been so long since anyone has been in contact with them.
‘‘It may be that they don’t want to make contact and that’s why they are making those inquiries.’’
A family liaison officer had been appointed and was working with Langdon’s family and Que’s mother in Switzerland.
Langdon’s estranged wife, Ariane Wyler, who is based in Nelson but is in her homeland of Switzerland for the holidays, has also enlisted the help of leading Australian child recovery specialist Col Chapman.
This is the second time Chapman has been hired by Wyler to locate Langdon and Que, who were found living rurally more than a year ago.
Waikato police Detective Sergeant Bill Crowe said police had been liaising with Interpol over the pair’s disappearance.
‘‘This is still very much a search-and-rescue operation, but we are doing some oversight and making sure there is nothing criminal going on.’’
Langdon and his daughter have been living in Kawhia since they arrived back from Australia at the end of July.
Given his links to Australia, Crowe said police had put out border alerts.
Langdon’s bank accounts were also being checked, he said.
In past days aerial and water searches along the West Coast and into Northland have been conducted by Coastguard and police.
Earlier this week Wyler said she found out the pair were missing through her in-laws in Kawhia.
‘‘I am deeply distressed about this current situation and miss my daughter Que greatly.
‘‘I am strongly convinced that they both are alive, well and safe,’’ Wyler said. – Fairfax NZ