Rafters still missing
PA Gisborne Ground searchers found no trace of four missing Gisborne rafters when they called at Otipi Hut in the remote Motu. River area yesterday afternoon. A boat had been found earlier in the day giving the hut as the rafters’ destination. The four men — Messrs
Ivan Ivors, Steve Birmingham, Kevin Farmer, and Bill Ragget — have been stranded on the river since Tuesday. They were members of a private rafting group which got into difficulties. Two other rafters managed to land their raft on the Opotiki side of the gorge and walked out on Tuesday evening.
Weather conditions ruled out a helicopter search yesterday afternoon but that will be tried at dawn this morning.
Opotiki police involved in the search now believe there is a chance that the men were picked up by a commercial rafting group on the river, due out at the Motu bridge at midday today.
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Press, 10 December 1983, Page 8
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152Rafters still missing Press, 10 December 1983, Page 8
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