Police search teams on Stewart Island are reopening a 25 year old cold case, all to test out new gear.
In 1991 Joe Freiman went hunting from a campsite and never returned.
Now police will begin trialling a new tracking system called SARTrack which allows them to live track search and rescue teams in the field.
SARTrack in use (Newshub.)
They can also log their events and manage the search remotely.
“Previously we’d call a team and ask them to check their map and compass and give us their grid reference,” Dunedin Police Senior Sergeant Brian Benn said.
“All of that would take radio time and quite a bit of interruption to what they were doing,” he said.
Once GPS technology was introduced they were able to download their GPS and they’d know where search teams had been once they returned.
“Now with our live tracking system we can tell where they are right now, and that helps us manage the search and also aids to health and safety,” Benn said.
The live tracking information is sent back to search base, and that’s then uploaded to the internet, and can then be accessed anywhere in the world.
That means experts can contribute to the management of the search from anywhere.
In terms of the search for Joe Freiman, they’re realistic about their chances of finding any remains.
“It’s very very difficult terrain and that’s why we chose this area. It’s the most remote location in the country with some very difficult search and rescue terrain.”
“As well as that, over the weekend we’ve thrown in a real search in Bluff and last night one of searchers had a medical event so we were looking seriously at doing an evacuation.”
39 people have been doing the searches over the last two days, divided into ten teams, but more than 100 people are involved in managing the search as a whole.
Newshub.
