A dog which belongs to a missing Omarama man was found safe and well yesterday, but police say chances of finding Rod Murdoch alive are fading.
The 71-year-old Omarama man was last seen at 9.30am on August 6, heading north along State Highway 8 in his green 1994 Toyota Hilux Surf, registration number CHW194.
He was driving slowly along the road with his black and grey schnauzer Bud running beside him, before letting the dog into the utility.
Since then, he has not been seen.
Yesterday morning, police picked up his dog about 5km north of the township on State Highway 8, near Prohibition Rd - close to where the dog was last seen with his master.
Pupils on a school bus heading for Twizel spotted the dog and the bus pulled over.
The pupils looked after Bud until police arrived.
Constable Nayland Smith, of Omarama, said Bud was checked by vets in Omarama yesterday, after being missing for seven days.
''[Bud] was pretty good, really. [The check-up] didn't give us much information. He may have lost a little bit of weight, but it doesn't tell us a lot.
''His pads are pretty good - maybe a little bit soft.''
Const Smith said finding Mr Murdoch's dog north of Omarama was an indication of his direction of travel.
''We're pretty confident that he's headed north from there. We've certainly got no evidence to say otherwise.''
It is believed the missing man had about three-quarters of a tank of diesel in the vehicle.
A large Search and Rescue (SAR) operation has already been undertaken by Omarama, North Otago and Dunedin SAR teams, including voluntary flights by two planes from aero clubs in Omarama and Central Otago.
Const Smith said he was organising more extensive ground, aerial and underwater searches for this weekend with Omarama SAR, and other volunteers from outlying areas.
The search proved ''extremely difficult'' because of the large area they had to cover, he said.
''The whole search area, really, is a 100km radius from his last known point.''
Mr Murdoch has declining health, and is not mobile without a walking frame.
''We're still convinced that if we find the truck, we'll find him.''
Mr Murdoch's son Darren, daughter Julie and her husband, Bruce Dyson, with other family and friends, joined the searches yesterday.
It had been a difficult week for them and they were very determined in their search efforts, Const Smith said.
The family had been inundated with support from the local community.
''Food just keeps getting brought in. The community has, once again, got right behind the search.
''Lots of the locals have actually come in and offered their services to search as well. It hasn't just been search and rescue, there's probably been just as many volunteers as well as search and rescue involved.''
More than 500 man-hours have already been spent on searches.
Police received a report of one possible sighting of Mr Murdoch on State Highway 8, just north of Twizel, but had little information otherwise.
''But nothing concrete, really,'' Const Smith said.
''Not as much as what we'd like.''
If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Mr Murdoch or his vehicle, they are asked to contact their nearest police station.
