February 12, 2007 09:24am
Article from: NEWS.com.au

TWO planes have this morning resumed the search for missing trans-Tasman kayaker Andrew McAuley off the South Island of New Zealand.

The Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand decided this morning to continue their search for Mr McAuley, whose upturned kayak was spotted by a NZ Air Force plane on Saturday afternoon.

Two private, fixed-wing aircraft are searching for Mr McAuley, and his family is holding out hope that he is still alive.

But Annie Lattey from the RCCNZ said today would be the final day of the search after a meeting this morning.

"It (the meeting) is a normal process with a search of this nature," Ms Lattey said.

"If Andrew is not found in the course of today, it is our intention to suspend the search."

Rescue experts have previously expressed doubts about whether the Australian adventurer could survive more than 15 hours in the chilly Tasman Sea.

Family spokeswoman Jen Peedom said today the Australian Government was involved and urging authorities to continue the search.

"He's (McAuley) been out there a long time and I can say from being here they (NZ rescuers) are doing a really amazing job," she told Channel 7.

"The decision is not being made down here, it's being made in Wellington, I've been told, but the Australian Consul-General has come out here, he's putting political pressure on to try and keep things going."

Ms Peedom said the family had examined the kayak yesterday but they still did not have a definite answer as to what happened to the Australian.

"I think we are still a very long way from understanding exactly what happened, particularly that close to the shore after going through such heavy waves and ridiculous weather to something that was relatively calm," Ms Peedom said.

"What it appears, in broad strokes, he was definitely hit by a wave while he didn't have the bubble on, that's capsized him and he's been separated from the boat."

Mr McAuley's friend Ben Deacon said no decision had been made as to whether his family would mount their own search if rescue crews abandoned theirs.

"We haven't discussed that yet," he said on Channel 9.

Adventurer spoke of 'fear and excitement' before trip

Mr McCauley's distraught wife Vicki and their three-year-old son Finlay were due to greet the 39-year-old in New Zealand yesterday but were instead hoping for a miracle.

The adventurer from the Blue Mountains west of Sydney spoke of his mixture of fear and excitement before beginning his record attempt at a 1600km crossing of the Tasman on January 14.

He was only 75km away from New Zealand when disaster struck on Friday, with maritime experts saying yesterday the water temperature was just 15C.

There was confusion last night, with a close friend saying he was sure Mr McAuley had a survival suit and that rescuers were confused.

But it is unlikely Mr McAuley could survive more than 15 hours in the water even with a survival suit on, said Lindsay Sturt of the Rescue Co-ordination Centre of NZ.

Mr McAuley sent out a distress call about 5pm (AEDT) on Friday and his empty kayak was found the next day by NZ authorities.

"We understand from his family now that it doesn't appear he had an immersion suit in the boat," Mr Sturt said.

"But we are still out there looking."

Search planes yesterday scoured a massive 3800 square kilometres.

Mr McAuley started his attempt from Fortescue Bay, Tasmania, on January 11.

Friends in Australia said the 2005 Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year was meticulous in planning and had prepared well.

Friend Jeff Jennings from Tasmania said he believed McAuley might have been trying to retrieve food from a front capsule but had become separated from the kayak.

Friend Jeff Jennings from Tasmania said that if McCauly had a survival suit he would have worn it to enter the water.

"He will know they are doing a search for him," he said.

"But the uncertainty is very difficult on his family and everyone else."

Before he left, Mr McAuley admitted the Tasman crossing would be hard but said previous kayaking trips had given him an idea of what to expect.

"I have an enormous amount of respect for this part of the Tasman Sea," he wrote on his website.

The trans-Tasman journey has been tried twice by other kayakers, both unsuccessfully

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