By PATRICK GOWER
The family of a New Zealand helicopter pilot who disappeared in rugged Australian bush six days ago are pleading with rescue services not to give up their search.
Searchers now hold grave fears for Wayne Alan Bulmer, formerly of Mt Maunganui, who has been missing since setting out for Canberra from Melbourne with Australian co-pilot and friend Aaron Williams on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old has been a helicopter pilot for 10 years.
A huge air and ground search scouring over 600 sq km of Victorian bushland for the missing flying instructors has failed to turn up any sign of them.
Atrocious weather hampered the search for the men and their small Hughes 300 helicopter yesterday and AusSAR (Australian Search and Rescue) were considering calling their search off if the men were not found last night.
AusSAR spokesman Brian Hill said swirling 40-knot winds made searching by helicopter too dangerous yesterday, and heavy cloud cover meant the three aircraft in the air were unable to find any sign of wreckage.
The search area is covered with dense vegetation, through which the small helicopter would be difficult to spot.
"We have been searching for these men in atrocious conditions since they went missing and believe me the bush there is incredibly dense," he said last night. "We now hold grave fears for them."
The 32-year-old moved to Melbourne six months ago to further his career as a helicopter pilot flying instructor and was joined by his wife Cindy and children Matthew, 6, and Georgia, 4, just three months ago.
Mrs Bulmer and his mother Debbie Ingham have appeared on Australia's Channel Nine news to appeal for information from the public in a last ditch effort to find some trace of the men before the search is cancelled.
His sister, Sharlene Bulmer, said the rest of the family were waiting in Wellington, and were sure he would be found if the search could continue.
"We are asking them to hang on because we know he can survive a lot longer than this, because of the type of person he is," she told the Herald last night. "We know he's out there so we don't want to give up yet.
"We know he is hurt because he has not been able to contact anybody but we still believe he's out there and alive, just waiting to be found."
Ms Bulmer said the former electrician became a helicopter pilot after he became "hooked on the adrenalin."
"He loves it, and his family love it too. He picked what he wants to do in life, chose flying helicopters, and just went for it."
The alarm was raised when the pair failed to make a scheduled fuel stop in Albury after flying out from Melbourne in terrible weather. They were tracked by radar for a short distance but contact was lost when searchers believe they flew low to avoid heavy cloud cover.
On Saturday 26 helicopters searched rough bush near Eildon Weir, including 600 sq km in the Big River State Forest.
Mr Hill said AusSAR had been assisted by a police search and rescue team on the ground.
"Whether to suspend the search after today is an operational decision," Mr Hill said. "I imagine they will be considering tomorrow when to suspend it."
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from New Zealand
Police launch investigation into Whangārei house fire that left one person dead
Fenz said the fire started in the car and spread to the house.