Missing Otago hunter Murray Horsfield: Wife appeals for help in search

Murray Horsfield has been missing since Monday after going hunting in Otago's Dart River catchment north of Queenstown. Photo / Supplied

The wife of a missing hunter and form Aussie soldier is appealing for help to find her much-loved husband, Murray Horsfield.

The experienced hunter has been missing in Otago, near Glenorchy, north of Queenstown, since Monday.

Police and LandSAR volunteers have spent the past two days looking for him.

Horsfield was last heard from on Sunday afternoon after going hunting in one of the lower tributaries of the Dart River catchment.

He was wearing camouflage clothing and carrying an olive-green pack.

Extensive searching in the area was underway, including aerial searches, sniffer dogs and kayak sweeps along the waterways, friends said.

Horsfield is a skilled mountaineer and very “capable” hunter, his friends and wife Teana said.

“But he has been missing since Monday and we need your help,” Teana said.

She asked anyone who had seen him to contact the police.

“He is so loved, and we are searching hard to have him home safely,” she said.

Teana thanked the Australian and New Zealand hunting community and her family’s military friends, who were travelling from Australia to assist in the search.

“I am eternally grateful,” she said.

“A big thank you to LandSAR, police, the amazing volunteers and everyone else who has reached out to help so far.”

Joshua Pickford, a friend of Horsfield, has also started a Gofundme page, to help contribute to search costs.

He said while Horsfield and his wife lived in New Zealand, there was a group of more than 20 close friends and family flying over from Australia to help look for him.

“Murray Horsfield is a veteran of the Australian Army, skilled mountaineer and hunter, but most importantly, a top bloke who consistently puts his friends and wife, Tianna, before himself,” the gofundme page states.

“If it was any of us in his situation, it would be Murray setting up this page - raising money, and organising everyone where he can.”

Pickford said the Gofundme page would go to covering things, such as accommodation, purchasing supplies, hiring resources and transportation costs.

“At this stage, Tianna and Murray’s family are primarily fronting the costs for these things, and easing them financially with a small donation, especially during this stressful time, would be more than enough.”

• Police ask anyone who believes they have sighted, or know someone who has sighted, Murray to report the sighting by calling 105 and quoting event number P053644123.