Judy Donovan never came out of the Pureora Forest in late March. She was the subject of an extensive search. Today, speaking exclusively to the King Country News, her daughter tells of the family’s gratitude – and makes suggestions on what might have worked better.
When she went missing Judy Donovan had been in the Pureora Forest laying bait.
The family of a conservation volunteer lost in the Pureora Forest almost three months ago has broken its silence to thank helpers
Their recent experience has left them with some concerns about search and rescue protocols in remote rural locations.
Judy Donovan went missing on March 23 in the northern part of the forest after becoming separated from a group laying bait, part of an annual exercise.
An extensive search for her in the first eight days was coordinated by Police Seach and Rescue with support from volunteers. The search for her was abandoned a little over a week later.
“We are immensely grateful to police SAR personnel, local Waikato Land SAR, and the Search and Rescue teams, both human and dog, land, helicopter and canyon, who travelled from many regions to help – thank you all for your generosity, time and skills,” Donovan’s daughter, Golden Bay based Nic said.
She presented the family’s thoughts in letter to the King Country News.
Nic said she wanted to express her thanks, and speak of the family’s experience, and would not make further comment to media.
Her concern was that present protocols around searching – including recent restrictions around shift times, could be impacting on the potential success of searches, particularly in the period immediately after someone goes missing.
That included how well local resources were now being used.
“In this era of centralised health and safety regulations, we seem to have lost the ability to tap into the valuable local knowledge and competence in our rural communities,” she said. “Meanwhile, police are under-resourced in a remote situation like this. Hopefully we will come back to a more collaborative approach sometime in the near future.”
She believed had the neighbouring farmers been informed earlier and encouraged to assist their input could have made a difference – simply by taking their many vehicles to a high point, turning their lights on and sounding their horns overnight.
“I believe Judy would have been embarrassed at being lost rather than worried in the first place. She tried to call a contact – but she should have called 111 – and that’s something people should be made aware of.”
“Judy was a fit, agile, capable and practical 79-year-old retired businesswoman and lifestyle block farmer. She had just biked the Alps to Ocean trail (Mt Cook to Oamaru). Stories from her biking and tramping club friends attest to her physical and mental toughness, and her calm strength in a crisis.
“Judy’s death could possibly have been avoided. If she was carrying a Personal Locator Beacon this might have ended differently. If she had used the last of her cell phone battery to call 111, they would have GPS located her instantly. Instead, she is lost, presumed dead. Without a body or a death certificate her family and friends are faced with uncertainty and a lack of closure.”
Nic said she would be disappointed if her comments were interpreted as a criticism of the people who worked tirelessly to look for her mother.
She also revealed searches had continued.
“A police cadaver dog search was conducted for two days in early May. A Land SAR dog team has recently been out for a weekend of training and searching.
“Two local families and their extended networks have provided amazing support to the family. They have shared their knowledge and experience of the area. They have taken time off work and farm to spend time in the bush. They have offered good old fashioned Kiwi hospitality and kindness. And they have added their number-eight-wire problem solving skills to the search. Thanks – you are all amazing people.
“DOC and tangata whenua provided support to the family with a karakia blessing on a farm close to Judy’s last known location.
“For everyone’s efforts and care we are grateful. We acknowledge the frustration that we are hearing locally. Many farmers and hunters were keen to be out helping in the early days of the search. Some of these people have decades of bush experience in that location.”
She acknowledged police had kept media and community involvement to a minimum because of the remote and untracked bush environment her mother was lost in.
“Our understanding is that this was to avoid the risk of inexperienced but well-intentioned people adding to the SAR burden.
“Land SAR volunteers (both dog and human) need to rest and recover after a long day in the bush, in order to stay safe. Police are limited to their shifts in order to operate the radio for communications and coordinate searches. Communication can be difficult in remote locations, leaving searchers vulnerable. Dense bush canopies and adverse weather make infra-red searching by helicopter teams difficult.
“Unfortunately, these limitations conspired to mean that Judy was alone without a search on the first cold night in the bush. She possibly died of hypothermia.”
“Judy is missed by her large network of friends and family. She was a keen gardener and tree planter. We know that she will enjoy the fact that she has become compost for a tree in the beautiful Pureora Forest. For us it is just 20 years too soon.”
Judy Donovan “was a fit, agile, capable and practical 79-year-old retired businesswoman and lifestyle block farmer”.
