The search for a British hiker, Eli Sweeting, who went missing in New Zealand more than a week ago has been temporarily halted by the authorities. Sweeting, a 25-year-old man from Bristol, was reported missing on May 4 after not returning from a hike up Mitre Peak, a steep mountain on the South Island of New Zealand. Despite a significant search effort involving local volunteers, helicopters, search dogs, and support from his family, the search has been paused by the police.
Inspector Matt Scoles, the acting commander for the district, made the announcement that the search efforts have been put on hold. He acknowledged the difficulty of this decision for Sweeting’s family, who have been going through a distressing time. While the search has been paused, the police are planning to reassess their strategies and explore if there are any further steps that can be taken to locate Sweeting.
The terrain around Mitre Peak, where Sweeting was last seen, has been described by the police as “extremely dangerous”. Despite Sweeting being an experienced climber who had tackled similar terrain before, the search efforts have faced challenges due to the rugged and unsafe conditions. The search teams had concentrated their efforts on the established climbing routes and utilized helicopters, thermal imagery, and drones to cover the entire area. However, the dense forest cover in the region has hindered visibility and made it challenging to spot any signs of movement. Police have assured that they are in constant communication with Sweeting’s family during this difficult time.
Serena Sweeting, the missing hiker’s sister, highlighted in a fundraising post that Eli Sweeting was well-versed in hiking in such environments and was no stranger to the challenges posed by the Milford Sound area. Despite the pause in the search operation, the authorities remain committed to finding Sweeting and will continue to evaluate their efforts in the coming days
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