Search for man missing in Mount Holdsworth area enters fourth day

Michael MacGregor failed to return from a walk on Monday.

The search for a man missing in the Mount Holdsworth area has entered its fourth day.

Michael MacGregor was last seen at the Rocky Lookout at 12.20pm on Monday, wearing shorts and a hoodie.

Despite challenging weather conditions, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter with thermal imaging has been deployed and a drone may be used, if conditions allow.

Severe gales are forecast for Wellington and Wairarapa as a strong and cold southwest flow sweeps over the country.

Temperatures in the North Island plunged to freezing overnight, and snow fell on the Desert Road and in the Rimutaka Ranges

In Wellington, where snow was expected to fall down to 400 metres in the morning, a high of 9C was forecast.

Michael MacGregor was last seen at the Rocky Lookout in the Mount Holdsworth area at around 12.20pm yesterday, Monday 31 July 2023

Today’s search will be localised around the Atiwhakatu Stream and Lower Holdsworth area.

Dogs, a helicopter and several teams of volunteers aided yesterday’s search for MacGregor focusing on the Rocky Lookout and the Totara Flats areas.

On Tuesday police appealed for information and asked anyone who may have seen him – including a man shown in the back of a video MacGregor posted to social media – to come forward.

Police say they received a lot of information, including from the man in the video and are grateful for the response.

Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.