While the active search of the Mt Holdsworth area for missing man Michael MacGregor [pictured] has been paused for up to two weeks, community members continue to rally around his family.
A fundraiser to support the family has been set up by Jacque Joblin, Kay Halligan, and Elaine Leggott through their Facebook page ‘Doing a Good Deed’ page had raised $11,000 as of yesterday afternoon.
The community wants to support the family so they can do what they have to do without worrying heaps about finances,” Leggott said.
“Wairarapa Rugby has got behind us – they’re supporting us in a big way. We’ve got Crusaders on board, too; they’re going to send goods up for an auction.
“I said to the family, ‘What you need, you get a hold us, we’ll put it on the page’ – we call it a magic page.”
Donations can be made to bank account number 06 0689 0233225 01.
Meanwhile, Wairarapa Police Area Commander Scott Miller told the Times-Age that “every area that we think he could’ve got to has been covered”.
“What happens now is that there is a lull for between 10 days and two weeks, when we will start a secondary search with specialist cadaver dogs,” Miller said.
Cadaver dogs are trained to sniff out the scent of deceased individuals. A secondary search is weather dependent.
Police are discouraging civilians from continuing the search by themselves in the current cold snap and advise anyone who does to ensure they don’t stray from the marked tracks.
Police are still urging those with information on the whereabouts of MacGregor – also known as Michael Namana –to call 111 and reference file number P055522968.
A family member declined to comment to the Times-Age about the police decision to put further searching on hold.
