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Dean Kozanic / Stuff
Marni Sheppeard, right, was airlifted to safety by rescuers after being stranded for eight days on a mountain in Arthur’s Pass National Park in 2003.
A mountaineer who was at the center of a major search operation in Canterbury goes missing again.
Marni Sheppeard was reported missing in January after she was last heard from in Christchurch at 5:20 a.m. on November 19.
The avid mountaineer had previously survived eight days of being stranded on an exposed ridge in Arthur’s Pass National Park in 2003.
The 53-year-old is now missing again and is believed to be in a similar area.
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Supplied
Marni Sheppeard was previously missing in 2003 at Arthur’s Pass.
Police believed he was in the Darfield area later on November 19 and that he may have headed for the mountains.
When her disappearance was reported in 2003, Sheppeard, who has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, had planned a three-day bum with her physics classmate, Sonja Rendell.
Their trip resulted in an additional seven nights on a rocky mountain side in bleak weather conditions.
Their extensive experience and knowledge of the mountain saved the couple’s lives through rain, sleet, and snow.
She was also trained for alpine operations after working as part of the search and rescue team in Wanaka, where she lived for several years.
Sheppeard has spent the last few years homeless and living in poverty.
He was staying at the City Mission shelter in 2019 to continue his research, after living on the streets of Auckland.
Sheppeard is described as being around 162cm with a slim build, and was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and green Macpac backpack.
The police are continuing their search and anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 105, quoting the file number 210115/4277.
