9.00am - By MAGGIE TAIT
The family of missing Featherston girl Coral-Ellen Burrows is sleepless with worry two days after she went missing from her school.
Six-year-old Coral has not been seen since her stepfather Stephen Williams dropped her off at South Featherston School before 9am on Tuesday.
Her parents have been too worried to sleep, family spokesman Karl Cremen told NZPA today.
"Her mother Jeanna (Cremen) didn't sleep at all last night." She said she had not slept for two nights.
Mr Cremen, Ms Cremen's eldest brother said Coral's father Ron Burrows was the only family member who had not had a break from searching.
"He's been up constantly," Mr Cremen said.
"I just can't say anything at the moment. I just want to find her," Mr Burrows told NZPA as he left with a group of searchers this morning.
Up to 80 police and volunteers have been scouring hedgerows and waterways in an area of about 30sq km around the school since late Tuesday afternoon.
"We're not as physically drained but we're more emotionally drained than ever," Mr Cremen said.
Mr Cremen said he slept for an hour last night.
"It's great to see people still committing themselves to this effort," he said.
"We hope that police can come through with a breakthrough today.
"She's just a beautiful little girl."
Senior Sergeant Murray Johnston of Masterton said police were considering using divers in today's search that would focus on Lake Wairarapa, the Tauherenikau River and streams searched yesterday.
Water levels remained very high after two days of steady rain, possibly even worse than yesterday, Mr Johnston said.
Rain had stopped this morning although skies were "very cloudy", Wellington district police spokesman Kaye Calder said today.
The focus of the search, which resumed at 8am was on the lake, which was a catchment area for all waterways in the area, Mr Johnston said.
Police would limit the number of volunteers used today to 30 to ensure an efficient search was done, Mr Johnston said.
Up to 80 police and volunteers were used yesterday, with 40 detectives involved in following up other leads and 40 police recruits canvassing Featherston residents.
"We want to talk to every household in the town," Ms Calder said.
An air force Iroquois helicopter took off from the rugby club to resume its search of waterways at 8.15am, Mr Johnston said.
Drains would be re-checked but other ground checked yesterday would not, he said.
"We're as confident as we can be (that the area has been well checked). It has been thrashed," he said.
Many items were found yesterday among debris washed up by recent heavy rain.
They included a pink jacket, which has been ruled out as belonging to Coral.
Police were today following up several calls to its hotline, Ms Calder said.
Police recruits would return to canvas homes from 3pm, she said.
"We had a good hit around the streets", but it was too early to say whether any good leads had come from that, she said.
About 20 people, mainly men, sheltered at the Featherston St John Ambulance building from pouring rain this morning, hoping to be allocated to a search party.
Family friend Ross Herrick said he was there because he wanted to help.
He said it was hard to say how people were feeling, "devastated really".
Mr Herrick had been out searching yesterday as well.
Another man, Noel Farmer, of nearby Carterton, also returning for a second day, said while people were chatting and socialising, every now and then the reason for their gathering struck home.
"One minute you're happy, the next minute it's raining and you feel sorry when you think she's out there."
He said the community was rallying together, but it was "pretty shattered really".
Police operations were being based at three main centres: search and rescue at the Senior Citizens Social Club Hall; and police inquiries bases at Featherston Fire Station and Featherston Rugby Club.
Former Wairarapa area commander Detective Inspector Rod Drew who returned from Wellington to head the inquiry said it was possible Coral had met with foul play.
"Anything is possible and we have to consider all these options," he said.
Mr Drew was involved in the hunt for the killer of Napier schoolgirl Teresa Cormack, who was of similar age and appearance to Coral.
Police concerns were today increasing for Coral's wellbeing 48 hours after she went missing.
"It's been two days now. It's worrying," Ms Calder said.
Despite Coral not showing up at school, staff failed to contact her parents, and her mother Jeanna Cremen did not realise she was missing until 4pm.
The school says it has procedures to contact parents when children do not turn up, but has declined to explain why Ms Cremen was not told Coral was missing.
Police say they accept Mr Williams word he dropped at the school gates with her eight-year-old brother Storm.
Mr Williams has said that he and Coral argued before he dropped her off because she did not want to go to school.
When last seen, Coral was wearing a teal blue and pink jacket, polar fleece top and a long blue top with a cat on the front, red track pants with a white stripe down the side, and she carried a dark blue backpack with red front pocket.
Police said Coral had been agitated about wanting to visit her father, who lives in Tauranga.
- NZPA
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