Judy Donovan search: Police use cadaver dogs in search for woman missing in Pureora Forest

By Cherie Howie, Reporter·NZ Herald, 24 May, 2024 02:30pm

Cadaver dogs have been used in the latest police search for an Auckland woman missing in the bush since March.

Judy Donovan hasn’t been seen since March 23, when the experienced tramper disappeared while laying bait lines in Pureora Forest, between Te Kūiti and Lake Taupō.

The 79-year-old became separated from her companions, sparking a large search that included LandSAR volunteers, dogs, Canyon Search and Rescue and thermal imaging by the police Eagle helicopter.

The search of the 78,000-hectare forest reserve, which has a thick canopy, multiple waterways and waterfalls, was suspended on April 6.

“While your efforts have not resulted in the outcome that we were all hoping for, the energy and compassion that you brought to the search did not go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated”, Waikato West area commander, Inspector Will Loughrin, told those involved at the time.

But searchers returned to the area almost a month later, when police used Search and Rescue cadaver dogs on May 1 and 2, a police spokesman said today.

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Judy Donovan was a longtime member of Pukekohe Tramping Club before her disappearance.

Specialist support from Search and Rescue and LandSAR was also used, he said.

“Unfortunately, Judy was not found.”

Police were now reviewing all material, and further searches would be considered if new information became available.

“Hunters and trampers in the Pureora Forest area are encouraged to contact police if they notice anything out of place, such as pieces of clothing or camping equipment.

“It’s important if you see something to lock the location on your GPS and include that information in your report to Police - that way we can pinpoint areas to focus our efforts.”

Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu, as seen from the Pureora Forest Park.

Donovan was a member of the Pukekohe Tramping Club.

Its members have previously been involved in baiting expeditions at Rangitoto Station on the northern edge of Pureora forest, as part of the Kōkako Recovery Project.

Five days into the search, Senior Constable Alastair Methven said Donovan’s medical profile suggested she “may become unresponsive and curl up to a small position”.

Donovan, named an Outdoor Access Commission champion in 2022 for creating more opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors, was last seen wearing trail-type shoes, black pants and possibly a silver jacket.

The 2022 accolade came from her hard work and leadership on the Pukekohe Five Summits Trail project, which connected Pukekohe’s five volcanic knolls and the natural and urban environments between them, using existing roads and public trails.