1News: Search Paused for Brazilian Tourist Erika Rodrigues Coelho Near Queenstown
- New Zealand Police have paused the search for Erika Rodrigues Coelho, a 47-year-old Brazilian national and surgeon missing near Queenstown's Coronet Peak for more than two weeks, 1News...
- Police and Land Search and Rescue volunteers spent hundreds of volunteer hours searching the surrounding land, water, mountain tracks, and a mountain pond without locating the missing woman,...
- While police described the decision to pause the active search as difficult following extensive operations from Fiordland to Omarama, family members and close friends have spoken publicly to...
New Zealand Police have paused the search for Erika Rodrigues Coelho, a 47-year-old Brazilian national and surgeon missing near Queenstown’s Coronet Peak for more than two weeks, 1News reported. Rodrigues Coelho was last seen on September 18, 2026, and her rental vehicle was later discovered at Skippers Saddle on September 21, 2026.
Search Operations Around Mount Dewar and Skippers Saddle
Police and Land Search and Rescue volunteers spent hundreds of volunteer hours searching the surrounding land, water, mountain tracks, and a mountain pond without locating the missing woman, according to reporting from The Gist. Search efforts involved dog teams, coastguard volunteers from Queenstown and Clyde, and ski lodge managers who supplied accommodation to searchers. Sergeant Terry Wood stated that authorities also sought a man seen on a summit track in the Mount Dewar area near Coronet Peak around 12:30 p.m. on the day Rodrigues Coelho vanished.
Family Hope and Wider Regional Missing Persons Cases
While police described the decision to pause the active search as difficult following extensive operations from Fiordland to Omarama, family members and close friends have spoken publicly to say they remain hopeful that Rodrigues Coelho is sheltering somewhere and will be found safe. The Gist noted that the disappearance coincides with other active missing person cases in the region, including the search for 21-year-old Braydon Hepworth, who has been missing from Christchurch since September 3, 2026, and ongoing police searches in Christchurch’s red zone for Rowena Walker.
Police Review Operation and Seek Information on Rodrigues Coelho
Police announced that a formal review of the operation will be carried out in due course to determine the direction of the investigation. Authorities continue to encourage anyone with information regarding Rodrigues Coelho’s whereabouts to contact police online at 105.police.govt.nz, call 105, or reach out anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.