'She’s somebody’s nan': Volunteers searching for Christchurch 81yo spurred on by earlier death

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

From left, Trey and Vicky search for 81-year-old Valerie Hargrave from the banks of the Heathcote River in Woolston.

“Valerie,” Vicky calls out from the bank of Christchurch’s Ōpāwaho Heathcote River in Woolston. “Valerie,” her fellow searchers echo.

They’re looking for Valerie Hargrave, an 81-year-old last seen five days ago at a meeting in Woolston. Police were alerted to her disappearance on Saturday.

On Tuesday, more than 30 people gathered at New World on Ferry Rd to join a community-led search for Hargrave.

Valerie Haargave was last seen at a meeting in Woolston on Thursday June 4, 2026.

The wind was cutting as the jacket-clad volunteers wandered through the bush, peeking into properties and moving brush to try to get a glimpse of a woman they don’t know, but feel connected to.

“If it was my nan missing … I'd just like to think that somebody did it for them,” Vicky said.

“It was cold last night, you just don’t want to feel that she’s out there by herself.”

Vicky and her mother, Shirley, travelled form North Canterbury to join the community search for Hargrave. They were joined by Joy, who lives in Woolston, and Christchurch local Trey, who they met at the search headquarters. None of them wanted to share their last names.

In their thoughts is Elisabeth Nicolls, a 79-year-old Christchurch woman with dementia, who disappeared from the Margaret Stoddart Retirement Village. She went missing the same day Hargrave did, but a year prior.

Nicholls was found dead 19 days later in an abandoned home, less than 3km away from the retirement village, and less than 300m away from the home she lived in before moving to the village.

The fact that she had gone missing for so long just resonated with us all,” Vicky said.

Joy searches for Valerie Hargrave along to Ōtpāwaho Heathcote River bank.

Trey agreed. She took the day off work to help search for Hargrave.

“I just thought ‘oh my gosh, another one’.

“She’s somebody’s mum. She’s somebody’s nan. I’ve lost my grandparents and my parents, and this is my worst nightmare.“

Shirley peeks through a fence to see if there is any trace of Valerie Hargrave behind it.

Temperatures in Christchurch dropped to freezing on Monday night. In the coming days frosts are expected to settle in the city.

Hargraves was wearing a pink cardigan or jersey and is said to be about 167cm tall and of small build when she went missing. She walks with a shuffle, but is reasonably mobile.

Police have been searching the Woolston area with support from LandSAR. Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Baillie believes she is not far from Woolston.

From left, rangers Vicky and Joy become search buddies.

Joy has been looking along the banks of the river since she learned Hargrave disappeared.

“If it was my family I’d want people to make the effort.

“I’ve been coming out by myself, but its nice that they’ve organised something now. It’s good to come out with a group of people and make sure you’re covering all areas.

“Fingers crossed she’s found cold and disorientated.”

Joy looks into the river for any sings of Valerie Hargrave.

Shirley said she and her daughter, Vicky, used to be aged carers. They have seen how quickly situations can go awry.

“They don’t realise what a situation they’re in. It’s heartbreaking.

“The perfect situation is to be finding her safe and well and hoping that somebody’s took her in or dropped her off somewhere she’s asked to do.

“But after this amount of time and this cold weather at the moment, unless someone’s taken her in - I don’t like saying it. I don’t even want to think it.“

Anyone who sees Hargrave is asked to call police on 111, or on 105 if they have non-urgent information on her whereabouts, quoting reference number P066620434.