Vic: Father of missing paraglider joins search

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2001
Vic: Father of missing paraglider joins search

The father of a New Zealand paraglider missing in Victoria's rugged north-east is expected
to arrive in Australia, as police scale down the search for his son.

Local police and a police helicopter will continue to search for GENE PAUL LARSEN,
from Rotorua, who crashed into mountainous country near Tawonga Gap six days ago.

Mr LARSEN, 34, has not been seen since taking off from Mystic Point, between Bright
and Mt Beauty, at 3pm on Wednesday.

A police spokeswoman says Mr LARSEN'S father was expected to arrive in Australia today
to join the searchers.

She says local officers resumed looking at first light but the search had been scaled down.

The spokeswoman says reports the search has finished are not true.

Searchers last made contact with Mr LARSEN on Thursday, when he told them via UHF radio
he had crashed within sight of power lines and was injured.

He could not give them his position and police believe his radio batteries would be dead by now.

AAP ac/gfr/jtb

KEYWORD: PARAGLIDER FATHER (MELBOURNE)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.