'Time running out' for missing man

The girlfriend of a British man missing in the Malaysian jungle said “time is running short” to find him.

Kit Natariga said the Malaysian search teams need more resources to help find Gareth Huntley, 34, who has not been seen since he went on a trek to a waterfall in Tioman Island, off the south-eastern coast of the country’s mainland, on Tuesday morning.

She added that it was “completely unusual” for the “adventurist” to camp alone during a trek and that he was usually always in contact with people.

She told the BBC: “I have heard that the Malaysian police are carrying out a search and working with the UK government.

“The local people are doing the best they can. They don’t have the right resources they need to find Gareth.”

She added: “Time is running out and we need action as soon as possible”.

The family and friends of Mr Huntley earlier criticised the Malaysian search efforts, claiming the response has been tepid, with just a handful of police officers working on the case

Mr Huntley’s close friend, Kyle Neo Kai Fu, who is on Tioman Island, said: “I am shocked that in spite of the fantastic public response and in spite of all the assurances offered there is a sickening lack of action.

“David Cameron and William Hague have to step up back in London and ensure the local people here get the vital resources they need from Malaysia’s police force to help us find Gareth.”

Mr Fu said investigators have no GPS navigation equipment or maps to help scour the dense wilderness, while the officer leading the small operation has left.

He added: “The idea that there is a proper professional search going on is laughable.”

Mr Huntley had been working at the Juara Turtle Project. Fellow volunteer Charles Fisher said a group went to search for him after he did not return from the “huge wilderness”.

They checked various different routes to the waterfall 6km away that he might have taken, while a further search the next day also proved fruitless.

Mr Huntley’s mother, Janet Southwell, said “real help” was needed to find her son, from Hackney in east London.

In a direct plea to Mr Cameron, she said: “As a father, you know that we’d do anything for our children and so I’m humbly asking that you make one phone call to help my missing son, Gareth.

“Please do the right thing Prime Minister and make one phone call to the Malaysian leader to insist that they deploy real help to find Gareth before time runs out. He is out there in the jungle and he needs help.

“We’ve been hugely heartened by the public’s fantastic support so far but we urgently need firm action from the Government – not standard press assurances of ‘working with authorities’. We need boots on the ground, search teams and dogs so that we can bring our son back alive.

“As our Prime Minister I write to you but as a mother too, I hope you’ll help me.”

A Facebook group has been set up to raise awareness about Mr Huntley’s disappearance.

A Government spokesman said: “The Government is working hard with the Malaysian authorities to ensure a comprehensive search is carried out to find Gareth Huntley.

“The Malaysian police have already deployed a search team using dogs and boats, and the Foreign Office continue to work with the Malaysian authorities. An FCO consular team is en route to Tioman Island to meet the family when they arrive.”

Source Article from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/time-running-missing-man-082206818.html

'Time running out' for missing man