The mum of a missing Swansea doctor has spoken of her hope that he will be found safe and well after jetting into New Zealand to help with the search for him.
Anaesthetist David Holland, 31, was last seen on the evening of Friday, March 11. Friends of the doctor had thought he had gone for a swim at a nearby beach and fears were raised for his safety when he failed to appear at work. Hundreds have since been involved in a search for him.
His mum, Karen Holland, of Swansea, who has flown to New Zealand with her son Rhodri, and met up with David's girlfriend Olivia, said: “We still hope that he will be found safe and well. The authorities are continuing their search. Others enquiries are ongoing. These could take several weeks, if not longer. We would just like to thank everyone for their messages of support at this heartbreaking time and to everyone who has contributed to the fund, it’s been truly overwhelming.”
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Karen, who is the former headteacher of Birchgrove Comprehensive, Swansea, and former deputy head of Bryngwyn School, Llanelli, said friends had rallied round her along with members of the Papamoa community. You can get more Swansea and other story updates here with our newsletter.
She also thanked Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi for her support, along with the British High Commission and New Zealand immigration for getting her to the country.
So far, a total of £12,570 has been raised through a GoFundMe page, set-up by Dean Ella along with a couple of Swansea friends, to help support the family “to navigate this inconceivable situation.” David, who has been living in Tauranga for about four years, had been living with flatmates in the Papamoa area.
Matt Shand, who became friends with David through playing ultimate frisbee over the last two years, described him as a “caring person” and a “lovely soul.” He added: “The hardest part is we don’t know, but we hope he’s okay. We hope that he is found.” Matt is described as an adventurous person who was “caring and full of life.” He was known for playing board games and was a keen cyclist and loved the outdoors. David would be known to go swimming alone.
New Zealand Police, in a statement, said: “Sergeant Craig Madden of the Tauranga Search and Rescue would like to acknowledge the efforts of a number of volunteer organisations including the Tauranga and Rotorua Land Search and Rescue, the Mount Maunganui, Omanu and the Papamoa Surf Lifesaving clubs, Tauranga Coastguard and the Coastguard Air Patrol, and community volunteers for their many hours of searching.”
To donate towards the appeal go to his Fundraising for David page on GoFundMe.
