Pat Taka: Helicopter deployed in search for missing Hawke’s Bay grandfather

Pat Taka at a family wedding last year. He has been missing for almost three months. Photo / Taka Family

A police helicopter has scanned an area of Hawke’s Bay as part of the ongoing search for missing resident Pat Taka, who has not been seen for almost three months.

Earle “Pat” Taka, 66, a grandfather and long-term resident of Ōtāne, last used his bank card at an ATM in Waipukurau on March 13, which is his last confirmed sighting.

He was also reportedly spotted at his home next to Te Aute College off State Highway 2 a week later on March 20, according to police.

He has been missing since and his family - which includes his four children who live outside Hawke’s Bay - were made aware of his disappearance in late March, who then reported him missing to police in early April.

Taka did not own a vehicle and would routinely hitchhike to Hastings or Waipukurau to get his pension or do his groceries.

The police’s Eagle helicopter was deployed last week to check alongside the State Highway 2 corridor, and officers carried out a ground search covering a 5km radius near his home, as part of their ongoing search.

”The investigation into the disappearance of Mr Taka continues,” Hawke’s Bay Police Inspector Martin James said.

“Last week, the Eagle helicopter flew the State Highway 2 roadside between south of Poukawa and Pekapeka to ensure he wasn’t anywhere in that area.

“We also conducted a ground search around his address and the nearby roads in Poukawa.

“We are currently reviewing the information that we have in relation to this disappearance and seeking further information from anyone who may know his whereabouts, looking back to early-to-mid March when he was last seen.”

Earle Taka, known as Pat, is still missing. Photo / Police

Nothing of significance was found during the latest helicopter and ground search.

His bank account has not been touched since he last used it at an ATM on March 13.

His daughter Rebecca Black said her father did not have signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s that she was aware of, but had suffered from short seizures in the past.

She said the entire family was extremely concerned about his whereabouts and it was highly unusual for him to leave his home for long periods.

“For him to be gone this long without accessing any money is very worrying for us,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today earlier this month.

“Whether he had an accident or anything, we just don’t know.”

Pat Taka has lived most of his life in the Hawke's Bay town of Ōtāne. Photo / Taka Family

He was well known around Ōtāne and had lived there for most of his life, often hitchhiking with people he knew, she said.

“What he would do is sit outside his house [next to SH2].

“There is a little stump there, and he would sit out the front of the driveway and sit there and wait until somebody picked him up.

“If nobody picked him up after a couple of hours he would just go back inside.

“He wasn’t a hitchhiker that walked up the road with his thumb out.”

Black said her father was small in size and his appearance was fairly frail.

“He is quite quiet. I would say he is a bit of a recluse. He normally just stays home.”

Black said her father had one housemate who was often not at home, as he worked in the bush, and was among the first to notice he was missing.

She said police had been extremely helpful in the ongoing search and the family just wanted him back.

Anyone who has seen Pat Taka is asked to call Detective Sergeant Hamish Urquhart on 021 191 3274, who is leading the police search team.