Search fails to find missing German tramper

Christian Prehn disappeared while tramping in the Nelson Lakes National Park in 2014.

A four-day search and rescue exercise in the Nelson Lakes National Park has failed to find the remains of missing German tramper Christian Prehn.

West Coast search and rescue leader Senior Sergeant Mark Kirkwood said it was “disappointing” not to have been able to locate him.

”We found all manner of things, but nothing to indicate Christian. The family were understandably disappointed that we couldn’t find their son.”

However, Kirkwood said he was pleased with the search effort this month and with the amount of ground covered, some of which wasn’t canvassed in the first search.

The team found a sole boot at high altitude, various animal bones which were checked by a forensic pathologist, insulation tape, tramping poles, and webbing throughout the area.

”Anytime, anywhere near a tramping track you pick up stuff, like food wrappers and chapstick containers that people drop as they are walking around,” Kirkwood said.

“[So] we’d be surprised if we found nothing, but none of that indicates where Mr Prehn is.”

“The search area is pretty active in that there are rock slides, scree slope slides, which occurred whilst we were in the field,” he said.

This movement meant that any remains could be covered in a short period of time.

Kirkwood said there was “no question” that you ended up getting emotionally involved in this type of search.

Drone footage was due to be reanalysed, but unless something was found in that, or they were notified that someone had found something, they would not be returning to the search area, Kirkwood said.

Nelson Bays Police SAR co-ordinator Sergeant Jonathan Evans said they were “really proud” of all the hard work that was put in by the 40 LandSAR volunteers and police staff.

“It would have been great to bring Christian home for his family and our thoughts are with them at this time,” Evans said.

Christian Ulf Erik Prehn disappeared while tramping in the Nelson Lakes National Park in February 2014.

His pack was found by a Department of Conservation worker on the Travers Saddle. It is thought he may have left it there to climb Mt Travers.

An extensive Search and Rescue operation found no sign of the 19-year-old.

In 2015, Prehn’s family helped fund another search for their son using donations they had received online.

In a statement to Stuff before this month’s search, the Prehns described Christian as a “young, happy, intelligent high school graduate”, who “simply wanted to hike and work for one year in New Zealand, and who very much enjoyed his first five months down there”, yet “left us without any warning”.

“It knocked the ground out from under our feet. Little by little we have fought back into life.”

The search, dubbed Operation Prehn, included a police drone team, LandSAR, CanyonSAR, and the Alpine Cliff Rescue team.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force flew a NH90 helicopter to transport the teams in and out.

Asked if there was any message he would like to get out to the public, Kirkwood said: “Please carry a locator beacon”.