Community rallies to help find Lucas

Gisborne people are being urged to report any detail that could help find Lucas Ward. Photo / Alan Gibson

The disappearance of preschooler Lucas Ward has "ripped at the heart" of the timber product company where Lucas' grandfather works in Gisborne.

Juken New Zealand is doing all it can to help the search for the missing four-year-old - including putting a helicopter in the air to scour the coastline and bay.

Up to 35 Juken NZ staff and family are out today in boats and combing city beaches for any clue to where Lucas could be.

"Lucas' grandfather is one of our main men. We all know little Lucas - he is part of our Juken family so of course we wanted to pitch in and do anything we could," , JNZ manager Sheldon Drummond said.

"Lucas is a real cute little dude. He hangs out with his granddad in the weekends from time to time when he is at work and it is great having him there.

"All little boys love machinery and we have lots of it, so he has a ball.

"It just rips your heart when you worry about what's happened to him. We all want the best outcome and are wishing the family the best."

Police today brought in search and rescue volunteers from Wairoa to help in the search for the four-year-old boy.

Gisborne area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said dozens of search and rescue volunteers involved in the search for Lucas during the week had to be stood down and fresh teams were being brought into the area.

"These searches have been very intense and laborious and we have to rotate our teams. A fresh pair of eyes can only be beneficial in these circumstances," Mr Aberahama said.

The majority of door-to-door area canvassing had been completed on Friday, but police staff were today following up on a few properties where no-one was home during the week.

Members of the police dive squad involved in the search were being rotated, with some members leaving the area today and others arriving for more searching tomorrow. The squad has completed the bulk of the searching in the main area of the river near Lucas' grandmother's property.

The divers today searched bends in the river and areas around bridge abutments. Coastguard boats have also been out on the river today.

Mr Aberahama said he was satisfied the police divers had done a thorough search of the area.

"I'm happy they have done all they can to look for Lucas. The wet weather today did not hamper their search and they have been extremely meticulous in their grid searching."

Strong support from all areas

Support for the search for Lucas continues to swell.

Groups of people have been handing out pamphlets in the CBD and knocking on car windows as people wait at traffic lights in a desperate plea for any information.

Schoolchildren and high school students yesterday taped pictures of Lucas to their schoolbags and T-shirts just in case anyone recognised his face.

The Help Find Lucas Ward Facebook group has grown to over 4300 members, who are all offering whatever support and assistance they can.

Mr Dummond said JNZ staff and families had jumped at the chance to help search for the missing boy.

"We have put a helicopter up in the mornings for the past three days to search the beaches and bay and had teams working over the Kaiti Hill area to see what they can find.

"Gisborne Helicopters are helping out too - whenever they fly north or south they are scanning the beaches for us.

"We have looked at the tides and are adjusting our searches to the needs of the day... it is just something you have to do, it's a community thing."

No word on reports of river sighting

No further information has been received about two kayakers reportedly seen on the river on Tuesday afternoon.

Appeals for information about them has resulted in a man contacting police to say he had been up and down the river in his boat on Tuesday afternoon and saw no other river users.

"We would like to speak to anyone who was using the river on Tuesday afternoon, especially in the Graham Rd area. If you haven't come forward already to police, please do so as any piece of information could be important to our searchers," Mr Aberahama said.

A decision on plans for tomorrow's search will be made tonight.

Police have said they were not discounting the possibility of foul play, but there was nothing to indicate that.

- NZPA