Relief as Jacqui found

from Lizard News February 2023

“People will soon be able to pop into our visitor space to learn more about what’s happening We know that a lot of the work underway is not visible to the people in the community, so we ’ re opening the doors for people to be able to view our project maps, see the latest aerial photos, and speak to the team ”

By Matthew Farrell

The Ōmokoroa community mobilised boats, cars, and bicycles to help look for a 78-year-old woman missing from her rest home late last month

Jacqui Soden, who has memory loss, left CHT Acacia Park sometime between 2pm and 3 30pm on Monday 23rd January, according to separate social media posts

When Lizard News contacted reception at 7 40pm we were told Police, and Search and Rescue were already involved, and no community effort was yet being coordinated

Two Facebook chat groups thought otherwise Additional phone calls were made, and within minutes, the Ōmokoroa Boat Club quickly and calmly launched a rescue boat to check the shoreline A couple of recreational fishing boats and the Community Patrol SUV joined the hunt equally briskly

Multiple individuals left their homes to check surrounding streets, cycle tracks and walkways, continually posting updates of the locations they had searched

Jacqui was located safe and well onshore, to the relief of her daughter

Taasha Lee - a teacher in Aucklandfollowing the search effort on Facebook

She was found in an area of bush below the Acacia Park premises at about 8 45pm - shortly before nightfall, as the sun was disappearing over the Kaimai Range

A message of thanks on behalf of the family was later posted to social media by Raewyn Norris: “The family wish to thank the Police, SAR, Community Patrol, and the many private citizens of Ōmokoroa who dropped what they were doing on Monday to participate in the search Words cannot express our deep gratitude Thank you, Thank you, Thank you What a great little community we share ”