Local resident Barry Stone, 66, was among the searchers who credited Robey’s actions for drawing the team to McHaffie’s location, where the pair were foundaround 5pm yesterday.
Stone said McHaffie, 78, is a fit and active man and a “community personality”, who went missing after heading out on what appeared to be a routine walk.
David McHaffie was found after having gone missing for three days in the Ōtaki Forks in Tararua Forest Park. Photo / Supplied
“He deals with things his own way, but he just went for a walk and didn’t stop walking, really.”
The search initially focused on areas closer to McHaffie’s home, as Stone and others suspected he might have veered off his driveway, until reports of distant dog barks on Sunday spurred the search team to expand their efforts further up into the hills.
Stone said the terrain was challenging for the group of rescuers, with steep inclines and dense undergrowth.
“Which is quite amazing, because [McHaffie is] 78 years old - but he’s quite fit and active. And the dog is not particularly mobile.”
Stone said the walk was roughly 40 minutes from McHaffie’s home.
He said McHaffie had likely been following the track he was meant to be on to return home, but took a wrong turn at a fork and kept going downhill.
Hearing Robey’s distant barks, the group descended into the ravine, where they eventually found the dog, who was very thirsty and hungry, he said.
“He was on a dry pad, I don’t know how long he’d been there. I think he’d only gone there to respond to our calls.”
A stream near the ravine where David McHaffie was found. Photo / Supplied
While some members of the group stayed with the dog, Stone and a policeman followed Robey’s pawprints, until they came to a “water course”, which Stone described as “a crease in the land” with a trickle of water, where they found McHaffie on his back about 2.5m away.
He was barefoot, lying sideways across the slope and quite damp in the trickle of water, Stone said.
Stone put his own jacket on McHaffie, and hugged him to keep him warm until rescuers arrived.
Rescue services were called, and McHaffie was winched out of the ravine and transported to Wellington Hospital to be medically assessed.
The group then trekked back to the road, and Robey was transported back to town on Stone’s side-by-side, and then taken in by McHaffie’s neighbours for the night.
“I was a pretty close thing, because it’s been raining up here this morning and it wouldn’t have been such a good time to find him in the cloud that’s been brought down today,” said Stone.
Stone thanked all the locals, police, and search and rescue teams who helped throughout the search - as well as McHaffie’s daughter, who made tea and coffee for everyone throughout the ordeal.
“They’re the backbone of our society really, these volunteer people.
“These are just people like you and I giving up their lives to help others, and really just giving it their all.”
Sergeant Marcus Fellerhoff said it was unlikely the man would have been found if it wasn’t for his dog.
”Robey deserves a lot of credit in the locating and safe return of his owner.”
After Robey was found he was given some food and water and walked out of the bush with his rescuers.
”The family have passed on their gratitude and praise for the efforts of Search and Rescue, police and other members of the public who assisted with the search.”
