Public ‘strongly advised’ against searching for missing Karori man Philip Sutton themselves

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington police have called for people not to take matters into their own hands after the search for missing Karori man Philip Sutton was suspended yesterday.

But locals said volunteers had been searching the area and had located a bag and an article of clothing this afternoon.

Sutton was reported missing at 7.15am on Monday after floodwaters surged through a South Karori Road address in the early hours of the morning.

The sudden flooding heavily damaged a small studio Sutton was staying in and left the area submerged in silt and strewn with fallen trees and debris.

Shortly before 5pm today, Inspector Fleur de Bes said the police search for Sutton was unable to continue due to safety concerns.

“The search is now due to recommence on Wednesday, as the stream water levels drop and weather conditions improve.

“Today, police focused on establishing areas of interest to be searched tomorrow – these areas are significantly damaged, leaving multiple hazards including the stability of the stream, variable water levels, and debris.

“Police strongly advise against members of the community searching themselves due to the many hazards there may be at this time. Unstable ground, flood waters and poor communications may divert necessary resources from this significant operation if anyone gets into trouble.”

De Bes said police staff would be joined be joined by multiple specialists including canyon search and rescue, dive squad, search dogs and drones when searching resumed and that Sutton’s family had been informed.

“They are understandably very concerned but would like to thank the public for all their support,” de Bes said.

Ahead of the police statement some people in the area had responded to a post on social media calling for volunteers to search for the missing man.

“The family would be very grateful for willing and able volunteers if you are interested,” it said.

“It is important to use the daylight we have – in case Philip is lying somewhere unable to walk we are keen to look while it is daylight. His car that is usually parked in front of the studio was gone in the morning, his family think that he tried to get away in his car in the night when the waters were rising.

“Who can volunteer, and what times are people available?” the post read.

A local – who did not want to be named – said three people searching downstream from where Sutton was staying had found a bag and a mudsoaked article of clothing.

They said the searchers were told to take the items to members of Sutton’s family but “they could have been anyone’s”.

The local said the searchers had not entered the still-flooded stream and stopped moving through the area when they would have had to enter private property to continue.

“We’ve put our safety first and these people did the same. We’ve been keeping an eye out but it’s pretty horrific down there,” they said.

The local said they were aware that Sutton was staying in the small studio on the property but said had little contact with him and described him as “a very private man”.

Wellington City councillor Ray Chung was also on South Karori Road today.

He said he’d been in contact with the people who made the post and understood they were friends of Sutton’s sister.

Chung said it was important for people who wished to help, to work with police.

“I don’t want people going into the water or getting lost and causing even more problems,” he said.

Chung said he understood that the organisers were concerned that not enough was being done to find Sutton.

“They’re very concerned that if they leave it for another day before people go out and search for him that it lessens his chance of survival out there. They were very concerned that he was out there somewhere and no one was out there looking for him or trying to help,” Chung said.

Quinn Wright worked in construction and lived a little further down the stream from the address where Sutton was staying.

He said he was heading to work on Monday morning when he came across the heavily flooded section of South Karori Road.

“We took the gear back home and brought the digger down to start clearing the mess.

“We just cleared the bulk of the big stuff off the road so the vehicles could get through and just freed up the blockages under the culvert so the water could start flowing across the road.”

He said the sudden deluge which surged down from the Long Gully catchment and tore the small building open came as a complete surprise.

“We’ve had far worse storms in Wellington and this area’s never been touched. It’s the worst bit of weather I’ve ever seen in the area but I was surprised that it flooded so badly,” Wright said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand