Search teams battle difficult terrain in search for missing Marlborough woman

Monday, 25 March 2019

The family of Renwick woman Jessica Boyce, 27, is concerned for her wellbeing, police say.

Rescue teams are working in steep, bush-covered terrain in the search for a missing Marlborough woman, who has not been seen for six days.

Land Search and Rescue crews from Marlborough, Nelson and Kaikoura are searching a forest park in west Marlborough for missing Renwick woman Jessica Boyce.

The 27-year-old woman was last seen last Tuesday, and was reported missing to police on Friday.

A post on the police Facebook page said her vehicle had been found at Lake Chalice, in Marlborough's Richmond Range, about 90 minutes west of Blenheim, off State Highway 63.

Marlborough LandSAR chairman Peter Hamill said a team of volunteers was assisting police in the search for Boyce on Monday.

It followed a full search and rescue operation over the weekend, which saw three teams of two on Saturday and six teams of two on Sunday scour the Lake Chalice area near where Boyce's car was found.

The Marlborough LandSAR team was bolstered by groups from Kaikoura and a Nelson volunteer, he said.

Hamill was one of the team leaders on Saturday.

LandSAR members, from left, Shaun Crabb and Peter Hamill have been helping in the search for Boyce.

'[It's] ruling out areas by going down roads and tracks to track footprints,' Hamill said.

Boyce's light frame and a spell of dry weather meant it was difficult to track her footprints, as she had not left deep indents, he said.

While good weather had helped teams during their search on the ground, the land around Lake Chalice was steep with a lot of vegetation, Hamill said.

'It's slow going, and it's hard to get around. We're doing the best we can given the terrain and vegetation.'

The view from Richmond Range, near Lake Chalice, over State Highway 63.

Police also organised two separate helicopter searches over the weekend.

'The helicopter does further afield, around Lake Chalice and up at the [Department of Conservation] huts,' Hamill said.

'The team took a photograph of the hut books to see who'd been there and, from that, who might be best to contact about her whereabouts.

'We're doing it so she can go home to her family.'

Hamill could not provide more information on the search, including next steps, as her disappearance was an active police case.

Land around Lake Chalice is steep with a lot of vegetation.

Marlborough LandSAR team member Shaun Crabb said teams looked at the highest probability areas first, based on information provided by the public and family members.

'We drive up to designated areas and do the search from there. The search is planned by police in conjunction with LandSAR. We analyse information collected, then apply it to search patterns,' Crabb said.

He said ground teams had searched in and around Lake Chalice and its surrounding waterways.

A police spokeswoman said on Monday there had been no developments over the weekend.

Marlborough Senior Constable Al Hendrickson said the search was continuing on Monday.

'New Zealand LandSAR volunteers and New Zealand Police SAR [Search And Rescue] members are deployed in the wider Lake Chalice area as they have been over the weekend,' he said.

Boyce's family were concerned for her wellbeing, police said.

Police would like to speak to anyone who had been in the Lake Chalice area since Tuesday last week, or from anyone who may have seen Boyce.

A Facebook post by a family member said Boyce liked to be in open spaces such as camping areas and by forest, rivers and the sea.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Blenheim police on 03 578 5279.