The search is on for a missing glider from Omarama, a small town in the Waitaki District, in Otago.
The glider self-launched yesterday afternoon with a small motor around 1pm. It was reported missing by Omarama Gliding at 8:20pm.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) began a search last night by aircraft when it was still light, and from 6am this morning aircraft have been searching the area between Mt Cook and Roxburgh – approximately a 120km radius centred on Omarama.
It is believed the glider was flown towards the west, as an easterly wind was blowing.
Two helicopters are on standby, and will be dispatched when the glider is found. An ICU paramedic and an alpine cliff rescue team will be on board.
The glider did not leave a flight plan or request flight following. The pilot has a radio with him, but the last contact with him was 2:06pm yesterday when the glider was flying at the north end of the Benmore Range.
Vince Cholewa from Maritime New Zealand says this afternoon two helicopters have joined the six fixed-wing aircraft in the search.
The two helicopters with the ICU paramedic and alpine cliff rescue team are still on stand-by.
"In addition to the radio contact at 2.06pm yesterday a glider was sighted flying north of Omarama at 3.45pm," Mr Cholewa says.
"All other gliders have been accounted for and were not in that area. That means the sighting was most likely the missing glider."
He is carrying a manually operated personal locator beacon, but it has not been activated.
The glider was not fitted with an emergency location transmitter that would activate automatically.
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