Search teams looking under every bush

By JAMES GARDINER AND NZPA

From first light volunteers poured into the little country school of South Featherston Primary, a sense of impending tragedy hanging as heavy as the rain in the air.

Some, like Sandra Jackson, had been out until midnight combing paddocks, creeks, ditches and sheds for any trace of Coral-Ellen Burrows.

"I just feel heartbroken for the family," said Mrs Jackson as she prepared to join another search party. Her son is in the same Room 2 class as Coral.

She was at a loss to understand how Coral's absence could have gone unnoticed for the entire day.

"This is a really good school.

"They ring me if my kids aren't there and I haven't told them."

She added: "I'll probably think twice about the kids catching the bus and getting dropped off. I'll make sure the teachers know they are here."

The school, more than 100 years old, has a roll of 61 from both Featherston, 3km away, and surrounding countryside.

Classes were cancelled yesterday as the classrooms - one of them decorated with Coral's artwork - were turned into search headquarters.

Police officers scoured maps to decide where to send search teams. Local people waited in the playground eager to help with the search.

Search controller Bill Taylor had been up all night; 16 teams of searchers had gone out.

"We drew a line around the school and started from there, looking under buildings, clumps of toetoe, outhouses, piggeries," Mr Taylor said.

"Everything was combed - with a fine tooth."

Yesterday's search, assisted by a helicopter, went over the same ground and beyond. Searchers rechecked everything, with special attention to watercourses, swelled by the heavy rain.

Wellington district police spokeswoman Kaye Calder said: "The aim is to find someone who may have seen her.

"We want to make contact with everyone who lives here to see if they can shed any light on Coral's disappearance."

Specialist search teams from Wellington joined the ranks of volunteers, hunting along the banks of the nearby Tauherenikau River south as far as Lake Wairarapa.

Mr Taylor said the community response was "fantastic".

"We've just got to be positive and hope she's hiding somewhere."

But as the day wore on and search parties returned cold, wet and empty-handed, the sense that something far more sinister might have taken place was unavoidable.

In such bitterly cold temperatures there seemed little prospect that such a young child could have travelled far on foot and survived.

Coral's father, Ron Burrows, could not bear to discuss that.

Mr Burrows had travelled immediately from his home in Tauranga after hearing his daughter was missing and began his own search.

Sheltering from the rain under a tree outside the school, he said: "I don't know anything more than you guys. I just want to find her."

While the search went on in appalling weather, about 30 children from another of the town's schools brought decorated cards with messages and said prayers at a special meeting at the Assembly of God church hall, where Coral went to a children's session each week.

Eileen Traill, wife of the pastor, John Traill, said people had visited throughout the day.

"It was so moving, so amazing that 30 children came down to pray for Coral's safe return."

Mrs Traill said Coral had been going to the children's meeting for a year. She was inquisitive, bright and "extremely friendly".

Coral's mother, Jeanna Cremen, was described by Shelley Murray as a lovely woman and great mother, who had previously coached a netball team at Coral's school.

She said Ms Cremen had a baby about two weeks ago.

Featherston, at the foot of the Rimutakas, is the last town on State Highway 2 before Upper Hutt.

With a population a little over 2000, it services a large rural area and has benefited from the tourism and wine growing of nearby Martinborough.

* Police are appealing for information and have set up a information line; 0508-677-333 or 0508 OPREEF