Search 'paused' for British man missing in New Zealand

Search efforts for a British hiker who has been missing for much than a week successful New Zealand person been "paused", constabulary person said.

Eli Sweeting, 25, who is primitively from Bristol, was reported missing connected 4 May aft failing to instrumentality from a solo hike up Mitre Peak, a steep upland connected the country's South Island.

A large-scale hunt was launched with teams of section volunteers alongside helicopters and hunt dogs, and immoderate of his household flying retired to help.

But connected Monday afternoon, section time, Insp Matt Scoles, acting commandant for the district, said constabulary had made the "difficult decision" to intermission hunt efforts.

"We person been supporting the tramper's [hiker's] household and we cognize this is hard quality for them to perceive astatine what has been an incredibly distressing time," helium said.

"While the hunt has present been paused, we volition beryllium reviewing our efforts and looking to spot if determination is thing further we tin do."

In a fundraising post, Mr Sweeting's sister, Serena Sweeting, said helium was an "experienced climber" who had "hiked successful this terrain galore times".

Insp Coles said the Milford Sound area, wherever the hunt had been focused, was "extremely unsafe and challenging terrain".

"We person focussed connected searching the way utilized by climbers arsenic good arsenic an aerial hunt of the full country utilizing 2 helicopters and thermal imagery. Additionally a drone has besides been deployed," helium said.

The hunt enactment had focused connected a way heading down the upland aft spotting a airy there, but the dense wood created issues with detecting movement.

Police stay successful predominant interaction with the family, Insp Coles added.