Concern grows over the disappearance of Melissa Ewings, 31, near Clarence

Relatives of a missing woman north of Kaikoura say they have serious concerns about her whereabouts.

Melissa Ewings’ grandmother told the Herald today that it was also out of place for the enthusiastic adventurer not to keep in touch with the family.

His concerns increased now as the weather had started to deteriorate and it was not expected to improve in the next few days as a storm hit the country.

Police now had search teams from across the South Island to help her search for her.

Ewings, 31, has not been seen since last Sunday when she left a property in Clarence Valley for a walk.

A police spokesman said they had not indicated that he would be away for an extended period.

Ewings had been working as a beekeeper at Clarence. She lived just minutes from her job.

Ewings’ Gold Coast-based grandmother Dulcie Brampton told the Herald today that they believed her employer was the last person to see her alive.

He said Ewings’ mother, his daughter, was distraught and had barely slept since learning of her disappearance when her boss reported it Monday morning.

“He travels a lot and was working on [Clarence] on the bee farm and he loved his job, he loved it. So it’s very strange that all of this happened. “

Brampton said he last spoke with his granddaughter on Friday.

Ewings was in a good mood and was telling her about possible plans to attend a car show on Saturday with a friend from work.

Ewings lived on property next to the Clarence Bee Farm, he said.

“I said to him one day, ‘Do you live near your work?’ and she said ‘yeah, just five minutes’. Like, next door or next door. “

“From what we hear here, a lot of people thought they found it, but no.”

Brampton said she had been in daily contact with Ewings’ mother, who was worried and desperate to find her.

“The last message I got from her was last night and she said they were bringing in more people today to watch.

“I think it’s very, very difficult for her. I don’t think she has slept since the weekend. She is having a very, very bad time. And her other sister, who has had to go home because she has small children.

The family had been told that Ewings had encountered two older women during his walk Sunday night.

“They said they saw her get in her car and drive home, but no one has seen her since.

“I thought she was actually down … but these women said they saw her drive home so I don’t know.”

Ewings’ car was at his home and none of his belongings were missing.

“Her purse, her cards, everything is still on the kitchen bench where she left them. Everything was there, nothing had been taken or removed from the house.

“His phone is not there, but they said he does not answer and that he would have already run out of data.”

Brampton wasn’t sure what could have happened, but he knew Ewings “walked a lot.”

“All I know is that it is quite a rugged area, with a lot of bushes and trees and bushes and the helicopter [crew] They have said that it is difficult to find things through all the trees, so they bring the dogs to try to track it. “

Brampton said it was strange that Ewings had not contacted anyone.

“We’re starting to hesitate a bit. It’s strange for her not to have been in contact with someone. She contacts everyone, the whole family, all the time.”

Ewings’ was one of five siblings, he said, and part of a larger close-knit family.

A police spokesperson today confirmed that search teams from across the South Island were in the Clarence area assisting local police with the search.

“On September 20, Melissa left an address in Clarence Valley for a walk. She had not indicated that she would be leaving for a long period.”

Search teams had been searching every day since “in a large area around Clarence and the river.”

The search would continue for the next few days, “weather permitting.”

As for whether the police were treating her disappearance as a suspect, the spokesperson said she was being treated “like a missing person and the police are keeping an open mind about what happened.”

The MetService forecasts strong winds and rain for the next few days, and a temperature drop to 5 ° C overnight on Monday.