Search not over – family
While resources have run out and the weather has become challenging, the search in the United States for missing Kiwi paraglider James ‘‘Kiwi’’ Oroc Greg Johnston is not over, his family says.
Johnston has not been heard from since paragliding in Eureka, Nevada on August 23.
While an official search was suspended the following weekend, and an organised private ground search continued until Wednesday (NZ time), family, friends and fellow paragliders have persevered with their own ground and satellite imaging search, asking for as many people as possible to join them.
A post on the GoFund Me page set up by Timaru family members towards the cost of the search of the former Timaru man said the search could not carry on the way it had and the ground co-ordination centre was dissolved.
‘‘We cannot maintain our current SAR (Search and Rescue) co-ordination centre and take responsibility for searchers going forward at this time,’’ the post, by his sisters Kelly and Kim Johnston, says.
However, this did not mean the search was over, they say.
‘‘We are not telling anyone who is capable and self-sufficient to stand down from searching. We have just run out of resources, and a good strategy to proceed.
‘‘All the logical options for where he may have landed have been explored by air and ground.’’
They asked people around the world to continue the hi-tech search of scanning satellite images.
The GoFund Me page has raised $96,440 towards search costs and the family is still offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who finds the paraglider.