Family still searching for ‘intelligent’ man
For four days, Christopher Bates’ family thought he was with friends – until one knocked on their door asking where he was.
The 22-year-old accounting graduate has been missing for 13 days and extensive land and water searches in Central Otago have failed to find him.
His brother, Jonathan Bates, and sister-in-law, Sidonee Gibson, said they were worn out with worry trying to find their brother, son and friend.
They last saw Christopher Bates, who they describe as ‘‘quiet’’ and ‘‘intelligent’’, in Alexandra on February 11. Friends had dropped him off at his father’s home, where Jonathan Bates and Gibson live, and he spent the morning in his room.
About lunchtime, he told the family he was going to a nearby river to meet a friend.
The last confirmed sighting of Christopher Bates was at the Z petrol station on Tarbert St. He was on foot and bought a packet of cigarettes.
‘‘He is 22 and shocking at keeping in contact so we didn’t think anything of it until one of his friends arrived and asked if we had seen Chris because they hadn’t seen him.
The last time they saw Bates he was acting normally and had a positive outlook on life. He had achieved good university results and was making plans for his future, his brother said.
‘‘He had been working on orchards and vineyards over summer and had started applying for a couple of jobs. He wanted to stay a year or so working in New Zealand then go to Australia. ‘‘He had this big career plan.’’ They were at a loss to explain what had happened to him and hoped he was ‘‘having a break’’, Gibson said.
‘‘We have no reason to believe he wasn’t unless he has had an accident.’’
Hundreds of hours had gone into the search, which included boat searches on the Manuherikia and Clutha rivers and using specialist search dogs and drones.
Senior Sergeant John Fookes said the ‘‘unsettled’’ weather this week had made it challenging for the searchers.
‘‘The way this may have affected the search is being considered as we reassess the search plans going forward,’’ Fookes said.
Several areas had already been covered by searchers including police, Land Search and Rescue volunteers and Bates’ family and friends.
Bates was last seen wearing a grey/ green hoodie, a white T-shirt, dark shorts and sneaker-style shoes.