No new leads have been found after a police exercise that focused on a 25-year-old cold case took place on Stewart Island at the weekend.
A large scale search and rescue exercise had participants using new technology to look for any evidence related to the unsolved disappearance of Joe Freiman.
Mr Freiman went missing while on a hunting trip with three friends in 1991.
A team of over 80 police and volunteers from the Southern District made use of the SARTrack system as they searched the area on foot for two days with no air support.
Southern District Police SAR Coordinator Senior Sergeant Brian Benn said that despite no new evidence being uncovered the use of new tracking technology in the task had been successfully used and all objectices were completed.
“The main purpose of this exercise was to upskill our search and rescue volunteers and to try out new technology on a major search operation.
“Unfortunately no further evidence in relation to the disappearance of the hunter, Josef (Joe) Freiman, was found.”
Mr Freiman’s family had been notified of the outcome and were appreciative of the police and SAR efforts.
“These cold cases are excellent material to base SAR exercises on as they highlight how little information we often have to go on during these operations,” Snr Sgt Benn said.
“They also provide an opportunity to take another look these historic cases with fresh eyes and the benefit of modern technology and search methods.”
Live transmitters connected to the search and rescue teams provided detailed information on the whereabouts and search tracks of all teams, which could then be monitored from anywhere in the world.
The exercise was organised by Constable Dale Jenkins and the Stewart Island search and rescue team.
