Search continues for Gisborne father a year on

Gisborne man and father of eight Joseph Ahuriri has not been seen since early morning on February 14 of last year when Cyclone Gabrielle struck Hawke’s Bay. His last-known sighting was outside his white Toyota Hilux at a truck stop in Napier before driving off. His family fear he decided to head home to Gisborne and was washed away by floodwaters or swept off the road by a slip.

by Neil Reid

A year after Joseph Ahuriri went missing during Cyclone Gabrielle, police have vowed to do all they can to find him.

And they hope results of a search using a special drone in their bid to locate the missing dad will be available soon.

Ahuriri was last seen on a dark and wet morning in Napier on February 14, as Cyclone Gabrielle lashed the region with all its fury, claiming lives, destroying homes and causing widespread damage on the roading network in the region.

In late 2023 police conducted searches of the Eskdale area with the use of a magnometer drone system, operated by a GNS scientist.

The drone search has been completed and GNS is reviewing the results, which are due to be released to police in the next month.

The magnometer drone system is able to define large submerged metallic objects and provide possible locations for further investigation.

“Police continue to stay in contact with Ahuriri’s family, who are advised of any significant updates,” a police spokesperson said this morning in a statement.

“Police continue to work hard to locate Ahuriri and appreciate the assistance from those who have come forward with information or CCTV footage.”

The last known sighting of Ahuriri was at a near-deserted truck stop on the outskirts of Napier in the hours of darkness on the morning of February 14.

Grainy colour CCTV footage shows Ahuriri — the lone occupant in his white Toyota Hilux — getting out of the vehicle and looking backwards towards Napier.

During the clip, released by police investigating his disappearance early last year, a truck drives out from the back of the unattended fuel stop on to the main road.

It was filmed as Hawke’s Bay was being hammered by record rainfall brought by Cyclone Gabrielle.

At the time Ahuriri was attempting to return to Gisborne, with some roads just north of his position already impassable due to severe flooding and landslips.

He had driven from Gisborne to Napier the previous night as the severe rainfall lashed Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay.

The father-of-eight’s family fear his ute — registration DZH116 — was washed away by the raging floodwaters or swept off a road by one of the many slips that occurred on SH2 and/or other back routes which might have allowed him to get from Napier to Gisborne.

Other theories bandied around Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne include that something untoward — and not cyclone-related — happened to him.

For months, family members and friends have carried out their own independent searches including the use of machinery loaned to them at no charge.

But those searches, the involvement of Navy divers and the clearing of slips covering SH2 by roading contractors, and going through huge mounds of rubble off the side of the still-damaged road, have provided no clues over his disappearance.

As well as the private search, the family also confided in a medium.

A video of the session is online, with the medium claiming he tried to turn back from a fateful drive and got stuck. The ute might then have been hit by a slip, she said,

Some family members have been frustrated by police since early on after his disappearance.

In late February of last year, Eastern District Commander Superintendent Jeanette Park said police believed Ahuriri’s disappearance was unlikely to be cyclone-related, “although this cannot be fully ruled out”.

In the days after Cyclone Gabrielle, Mr Ahuriri was among the more than 4500 people listed as not being able to be contacted by friends, neighbours or family.

By February 28, Park said that number had now been reduced to just five people.

Mt Ahuriri was categorised as a missing person.

“While Joseph has had no contact with family or police since the cyclone, inquiries to date suggest it is unlikely that his disappearance is cyclone-related although this cannot be fully ruled out,” Park said.

“We urge Joseph, or anyone who has seen him since 13/14 February, to please get in touch with police so we can let his family know he is safe.”

His older brother Mike Ahuriri reacted angrily to the comment, saying: “The statement . . . it may not be Cyclone Gabrielle-related is bulls***”.

An aunty of the missing man, Shivaun Nepia-Te Aturangi, was also critical of police handling of the case in a previous interview with the Herald.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is urged to contact police by calling 105 or going online to 105.police.govt.nz using ‘Update Report’ and referencing file number 230225/2804.

Gisborne man Joseph Ahuriri (pictured), who disappeared during the onslaught of Cyclone Gabrielle last February remains unaccounted for, but police continue to search for him, with the results of extensive further searching using a magnometer drone system currently being analysed.