Police are looking at "a number of scenarios" after another day of fruitless searching for missing kayaker Gellert Csaba Mudra and have notified him to all New Zealand airports as a missing person.
Detective Sergeant Grahme Bartlett, of Queenstown, said yesterday the land and air search for the 41-year-old Hungarian man, missing since last Friday, had been concluded.
Today, the police dive squad would do a final sweep of Queenstown Bay with sonar equipment.
Det Sgt Bartlett said he was waiting for the results of the lake search before moving the inquiry further afield.
"At this stage, we are looking at a number of scenarios. When we have advice from the dive squad leader that they are unable to locate Mr Mudra's body, we will have a meeting to re-evaluate our options," he said.
Det Sgt Bartlett said police had not ruled out the possibility he walked off after beaching the kayak.
He said he could not speculate on the chances of finding Mr Mudra alive.
He was last seen paddling a kayak on Lake Wakatipu about 4.45pm last Friday.
The kayak was found about 6pm floating with the paddle and lifejacket both stowed in the cockpit.
The interior of the kayak was dry and it might have blown from the Lake Esplanade beach area, police said.
The Wellington-based police dive team had searched areas of Queenstown Bay and the Frankton arm on Tuesday and yesterday, but found nothing.
The search, called operation magpie, involved more than 50 people since Friday, including 30 volunteers who had searched the shoreline by foot.
"The land and air search are finished at the moment subject to more information coming to hand," he said.
He had also interviewed Mr Mudra's wife and close links for information to help police establish Mr Mudra's possible whereabouts.
"The Hungarian community in Queenstown is small and close-knit, but we have been liaising with members of that community. We know Mr Mudra is a very quiet, reserved man," he said.
Mr Mudra had been living with his wife in New Zealand for two and a-half years, including 18 months in Queenstown.
The couple had no children.
Det Sgt Bartlett declined to say where Mr Mudra had worked.
He had been working in Queenstown until April, but had not found work since then.
Det Sgt Bartlett said he had spoken to Mr Mudra's father and sister-in-law in Hungary.
"Obviously, they have concerns at his disappearance. There is some suggestion of them coming over, but they are waiting to see what police inquiries reveal," he said.
Police had still not been contacted by a kayaker, who was paddling a yellow river kayak sighted by a witness near where Mr Mudra was last seen.
