Police search for missing real estate agent Yanfei Bao (inset) at the Wigram Airforce Base. Photo / George Heard
Police search for missing real estate agent Yanfei Bao (inset) at the Wigram Airforce Base. Photo / George Heard
Colleagues of a missing Christchurch real estate agent are doing leaflet drops around the area she went missing seeking information as to her whereabouts.
A post on the Canterbury police Facebook page said Yanfei Bao had been reported missing, and her family and police had “concerns for her welfare”.
OnThursday, Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said Bao was last seen about 10.30am on Wednesday on Vickerys Rd, Wigram, where she was “carrying out a matter of business”.
A large investigation, dubbed Operation Helo, is underway.
Her car, a silver Nissan Dualis, registration PKT556, was located nearby at Iroquois Pl, Wigram.
“It’s highly unusual, out of character, and police are concerned for her wellbeing,” Reeves told the Herald.
Yanfei Bao was last seen about 10.30am on Wednesday on Vickerys Rd, Wigram, where she was “carrying out a matter of business”. Photo / George Heard
On Friday morning some of her colleagues were out delivering leaflets in people’s letterboxes in the Wigram area. The leaflet says “help us find Yanfei Bao!”.
In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, her husband Paul Gooch posted an “urgent appeal” for information regarding his “beloved wife”.
“We are deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of my wife, Yanfei Bao. Our 9-year-old daughter and I are desperately seeking any information that could lead us to her whereabouts.”
He said that as a “dedicated real estate consultant”, she had planned to engage with the local community through “door-to-door outreach to promote her services”.
“We have not heard from her since, and this is completely out of character for Yanfei. Our daughter and I are incredibly worried, and we kindly ask for your assistance in this difficult time,” he said.
“Your support and vigilance mean the world to us, and we are praying for Yanfei’s safe return. Please share this post within your networks and communities to help spread the word.”
Gooch was too distraught to speak when the Herald visited the couple’s home. But a family member told the Herald about their distress at a “surreal” situation. Bao’s disappearance is totally out of character, he said.
She has a young daughter, and her personal possessions including passport, money, and clothes are at her family home in Avonhead.
”There is nothing indicating that she has disappeared to another country or another city or anything,” the family member said.
Specialist search staff searching the old Wigram Airforce Base for missing real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Photo / George Heard
She has never disappeared or gone out of communication before, he said. Before she vanished, nothing out of the ordinary had happened to her that anyone noticed.
”It’s surreal,” he said. “This stuff doesn’t happen in Christchurch or this country.
”We’re trying to keep it as positive as possible ... she got lost, you know.”
Bao’s friends and colleagues have been out searching today, while the family have been told by police to stay by their phones.
Police were seen searching the old Wigram Airforce Base on Thursday afternoon.
Bao had recently started working at Harcourts’ Wigram branch. Branch manager Hamish McLeod told the Herald she was not at work yesterday, and staff did not know what had happened.
The branch had stopped working and more than 40 real estate agents were helping search for her.
Police say Bao's disappearance is "highly unusual". Photo / George Heard
Bao’s profile on the Harcourts site said she has “extensive experience” in sales, and was previously a top-selling salesperson in a major electronics brand.
“She reached the status of Apple Master, which is a rare achievement. She is highly educated and capable with a Master’s degree in English linguistics and a post-graduate diploma in business management and is ready to utilise the knowledge she gained from her academic achievements to enhance the result she delivers for clients and customers.”
Yanfei Bao was last seen yesterday in the Wigram area about midday, wearing the outfit pictured and reading glasses. Photo / Canterbury Police
Family was her “priority”, and she loved spending time with her partner and young daughter.
“In her spare time, she loves to read, and her other interests include travel and learning something new every day. If you are looking for a highly educated, passionate, and hard-working salesperson to assist you in buying or selling your most important asset, give Yanfei a call, as she would love to hear from you,” the Harcourts site states.
Anyone who had seen her, or had any information about where she could be, is urged to call 111 immediately and quote event number P055385539.
Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Kurt Bayer is a South Island correspondent based in Christchurch. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2011.
