A search in Christchurch's red zone is continuing as police try to locate missing woman Rowena Walker, who has not been seen in eight months.
The 39-year-old was last seen on CCTV on August 14 on Bassett Street in Christchurch, alongside an associate.
Today, Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan said the search would involve about 30 staff, and could last "into Friday".
They said the focus will be on areas of vegetation where things could be "hidden or concealed" and is one of multiple inquires ongoing to find Walker.
"There will be an element of grid searching through the vegetated areas and along the waterways probing into the ground just in the hopes of finding anything that is out of place or doesn't belong there."
Carolan said they would have to consider the possibility Walker is no longer alive, although it hoped "that is not the case".
Police could not rule out foul play.
"We go through our life and we leave footprints, digital or otherwise, in it, and Rowena hasn't done that since mid-August 2025, and that's really concerning for us."
Carolan said it had conducted multiple search warrants to find Walker, and could not predict what they may find during the red zone search, but added "the smallest piece of evidence could be crucial to solving it".
"It could be clothing, it could be personal belongings, we just have to keep a very open mind."
In an update earlier this month, police renewed calls for information on Walker's disappearance, and said it had been following multiple lines of investigation across Waikato, Tasman, and Canterbury.
On Monday, police said inquiries have led it to believe Walker may have been near the residential red zone around the time she went missing.
"We believe Rowena went missing from Christchurch, as we have found no evidence she left the city prior to her disappearance," police said at the time.
"The day before, she told family she was living in Christchurch with a friend, indicating an intention to settle here."
This week, land, water, and aerial teams begun searching the red zone, and residents were informed they may see an increased police presence during the search.
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