Biker down in Haast (7 January)

[Ixion]

Police launch search for missing motorcyclist

NZPA | Sunday, 7 January 2007


Police have mounted a search and rescue operation looking for a motorcyclist who went missing on a group ride between Haast and Milford yesterday.

The motorcyclist was riding a silver 250cc motorcycle and was last seen at the Haast service station.
Police search and rescue are using a helicopter and ground staff to search the route taken by the group.
Police are asking the public to contact them if they see anything that may indicate that a motorcycle has left the road or they see a silver 250cc motorcycle in the area.







I guess other bikers are most likely to spot a motorcyclist. Would have helped if they'd given a model. Odd that the others in the group couldn't find him, though of course he may simply have gotten lost or tootled off on his own, as one does.

[scumdog]

It's a ferkin' looong piece of often rugged road to start looking for a motorbike over a bank somewhere....one would have thought the group they were riding with would have been able to narrow the likely area a bit more than THAT.

[riffer]

Gawd. Fingers crossed for lost motorcyclist. :mellow:

[NighthawkNZ]

It's a ferkin' looong piece of often rugged road to start looking for a motorbike over a bank somewhere....one would have thought the group they were riding with would have been able to narrow the likely area a bit more than THAT.

I would have thought so too... a TEC (Unless it he was it) In group rides you have to keep an eye on all your whole group. And if you leave the group for fark sake tell some one...

[Brett]

Crap, if they need to mount a search for someone who may have crashed in an area like that, then i dont like their chances, although i obviously hope they are just bunking down at a mates unaware of this whole thing...

[sAsLEX]

Crap, if they need to mount a search for someone who may have crashed in an area like that, then i dont like their chances, although i obviously hope they are just bunking down at a mates unaware of this whole thing...

What about those two oldies stuck in a gorge for a couple of days on the west coast?

I would be hiding if I was him, the cops will be after him trying to charge him with something!

[ajturbo]

there was a young man found in the buller gourge...17 YEARS after he crashed... still on his bike...
lets hope the biker just went home!!!

i would hate to try and find ANYONE down there...

[kneescraper]

Was the notice posted on the same day he went missing or have they been looking for him for a couple days now? He must have been lagging behind, last seen at the servo? did they not wait for him or something...

I hope they find the guy alive.....


there was a young man found in the buller gourge...17 YEARS after he crashed... still on his bike...
lets hope the biker just went home!!!

Really, how was he still on his bike if he had gone off the road down a big bank into the gourge? Sounds like an interesting story.

[ajturbo]

Really, how was he still on his bike if he had gone off the road down a big bank into the gourge? Sounds like an interesting story.

he didn't go DOWN the bank.... he went off INTO the bushes....
the cops reconed that he must have fallen asleep......
if he had gone DOWN the bank they wouldn't have EVER found him.....

[sunhuntin]

Was the notice posted on the same day he went missing or have they been looking for him for a couple days now? He must have been lagging behind, last seen at the servo? did they not wait for him or something...

I hope they find the guy alive.....

.


silver 250...i cant think of any silver 250, except maybe hyosung? and yeh, they cant have waited for him. did they not have a tail end charley? no excuse for losing a member of a group ride like that!

[Disco Dan]

Woah... thats creepy...

Hope they find him...


And when they do, im putting my compass in the mail to him.... he needs it more than me...

[kro]

Silver 250?. He was riding in a group of bikes, and that's the best description we get?. These were obviously hobby motorcyclists, if that's the best description they can offer.

I hope the guy/gal is OK, as people have said, that's a bugger of a place to come unglued.

[Clivoris]

Radio just said that they have found his body. Apparently failed to take a corner, left the road and bike plus rider landed in dense scrub. RIP.

[sunhuntin]

Silver 250?. He was riding in a group of bikes, and that's the best description we get?. These were obviously hobby motorcyclists, if that's the best description they can offer.

I hope the guy/gal is OK, as people have said, that's a bugger of a place to come unglued.

its a wonder we even got a 250. i know i cant tell bike sizing unless it has it on the body somewhere. it might not even be a 250...they likely saw an l plate and guessed. spose if hes down a ditch somewhere, then silver 250 will help more than 2006 suzuki bandit or whatever.

[Ivan]

Radio just said that they have found his body. Apparently failed to take a corner, left the road and bike plus rider landed in dense scrub. RIP.

Not good news,

[Bonez]

Radio just said that they have found his body. Apparently failed to take a corner, left the road and bike plus rider landed in dense scrub. RIP.Tis sad alright. Let's hope the rest of the group have learnt a valuable lesson from this.

[sunhuntin]

Tis sad alright. Let's hope the rest of the group have learnt a valuable lesson from this.

i still dont know how they could just leave him at the gas station though...or not notice he was gone. likely was pushing things to catch up with them...

[Jantar]

It comes back to one of the basics of group riding - Unless you are TEC, always keep at least one head light of another rider in view in your mirror. If you lose sight of any headlights then slow down and if after a few seconds there is still no sign then stop, wait a few more seconds, then turn back. Whoever had your head light in their mirror will do the same etc. That way no-one is ever left behind.

[jade]

I wonder if it was a 250 ...he was 34

[blackkatana]

Another biker gone. RIP. Lessons to be taken on board by all.

[candor]

SAD. My mate used to spray the roads for mould down there. They do gorse too. But they started economising on mould spraying as its low traffic area. His comment - 'some german tourist will get killed - cos of this'. It may not have been any mistake other than not knowing about the mouldy road?!?

[DEMONICST8]

I need to know who this guy is, My mate is touring down there, from auckland, 34, on a silver 250.
how can I find out???????????

[Lucy]

I need to know who this guy is, My mate is touring down there, from auckland, 34, on a silver 250.
how can I find out???????????


Try calling newstalk zb? Or his folks?

[notme]

Fuck. Sucks to have another fatality this early into the new year.


It comes back to one of the basics of group riding - Unless you are TEC, always keep at least one head light of another rider in view in your mirror. If you lose sight of any headlights then slow down and if after a few seconds there is still no sign then stop, wait a few more seconds, then turn back. Whoever had your head light in their mirror will do the same etc. That way no-one is ever left behind.

Fantastic adivce. If ntohing else, the TEC should know how many are in the group and take responsibility for that number of riders. On on of the recent 250 rides I went on, when it came my turn to do the duty i checked on people and counted heads. At one point I had to wait for a while, and the missing person didn't show, i went and had a look, then someone told me that person had left the ride. Annoying, but I'd rather be annoyed than in mourning.


I wonder if it was a 250 ...he was 34
The age has what exactly to do with the cc rating of the bike???


i still dont know how they could just leave him at the gas station though...or not notice he was gone. likely was pushing things to catch up with them...

Another good point - ride your own ride. It's said all the time and people pay the lip service to this ideal, but then they still feel the pressure to keep up, or catch up, and shit happens. Not trying to lay blame or say this is what happened, but it can and does happen.


Basically it sucks that a fellow biker is gone, and it sucks that the group took so long to notice.

:sick:

[DEMONICST8]

I really dont want to call his parents in case they dont know
His cell goes straight to voice mail
somebody pm me if they have any ideas

[Jeff Sichoe]

Do you know the names of any of the people who he may have been riding with?

His folks would be fine with a friend calling to inform them they had heard of an accident involving a similar bike to their son, surely?

[Chrislost]

just call the police? they might know, failing that then scaring the crap outa the parents is about the only other way.

[crashe]

I really dont want to call his parents in case they dont know
His cell goes straight to voice mail
somebody pm me if they have any ideas
I will pm you.





NZ Police CommCens Alert 16:00 7-01-2007 Southern

Location of incident: Haast

Incident Type: missing motorcyclist located deceased

Missing Motorcyclist Located deceased: At 1030 am 07/01/07 a police search and rescue operation located the missing motorcyclist deceased approximately 30 km east of haast. The 34 year old male from Auckland died as a result of a motorcycle accident. No other persons were involved. Police are currently locating relatives in Australia.

Issued by: Inspector Doug Parker


RIP and condolances to his family and friends.

[candor]

I would NOT call the parents. A ph call is alarming. They should have been tracked down and be getting informed in person and the whole family properly. Then theuy wil call you. The cops may talk if you call the station on the coast - then again they may not. I thought I knew that body found in pukerua bay few mths back as a (possible) name was given on radio pending teeth results. I rang porirua police and they said radio had it wrong. Which they did - they had gone on rumours. In meantime I rang the guy nameds family and unnecessarily frightened them.

[Sensei]

Does anyone know about the Biker killed down in Haast today State highway 6 ? Have mates down there just checking .

[chanceyy]

Pm sensei ....

[ladreborn]

That its not from the group i spoke to before xmas ,
I told them to pop into Timaru for a coffee on way thru , but they sai they weren,t coming to timaru , One of the guys signed himself as WARREN N ,

[Titanium]

Warren is all ok. Just heard from him.

Cheers.

[MyGSXF]

Does anyone know about the Biker killed down in Haast today State highway 6 ?

FUCK... not another biker down..... :shit:

[wilber]

Theres another thread in here somewhere regarding this .

[beyond]

Thats real sad :( :(

Another one already this year. Must have been trying to catch up. :(

[car]

FUCK... not another biker down..... :shit:

Did you know him?

[Lias]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10418129

Rider's body found 7m down cliff
Email this storyPrint this story New Monday January 08, 2007

The body of a 34-year-old Auckland motorcyclist was found between Haast and Makarora yesterday.

The man was on a tour with two companions from Auckland to Milford Sound, and was last seen on Friday.

His body and his wrecked motorcycle were found in dense scrub about 7m down a cliff at Clarke Bluff.

[MyGSXF]

Did you know him?


No, I didn't know him.. but am still horrifierd to see another motorcyclist killed! :bye:

R.I.P fellow biker.. thoughts to go out to his family!!!

[Paul in NZ]

Damn - what a bloody shame... RIP

[Insanity_rules]

Man that is really sad, RIP fallen biker.

[JT.]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3921892a11.html ...
The motorcyclist killed near in the Haast Valley on Friday was Rodney Edward Baker, of Auckland.

Senior Constable Robin Manera, of Haast, said it appeared the 34-year-old died when he failed to take a right-hand bend.

Mr Baker was on a tour of the country with two friends.

The trio left Haast after lunch on Friday, saying they would meet up in Wanaka later that day. However, Mr Baker failed to show.

A helicopter search found his body down a bank at Clarke Bluff, about 30km from Haast, Mr Manera said.

RIP.

[Indiana_Jones]

silver 250...i cant think of any silver 250, except maybe hyosung? and yeh, they cant have waited for him. did they not have a tail end charley? no excuse for losing a member of a group ride like that!

Silver 250, I was thinking maybe a Katana? I might be wrong there though

RIP :(

-Indy

[Nasty]

RIP fellow biker ... condolances to the family and whanau. :(

[sunhuntin]

Silver 250, I was thinking maybe a Katana? I might be wrong there though

RIP :(

-Indy

guess well never know.

and yeh...age has nothing to do with cc rating...my dad rode a gn250 till only about 3 years ago [hes nearly 60]

[Maha]

I need to know who this guy is, My mate is touring down there, from auckland, 34, on a silver 250.
how can I find out???????????


They said on the news yesterday that ''the motorcyclist was on a group ride and was from Auckland''....Hope the outcome is good DEMONIC....

[MD]

I think some of you are being a bit harsh expecting the others to baby sit each other. Sad though it is, I've been on many long bike trips especially around the Sth Island. Splitting up, either in smaller groups, or just individuals deciding to wander a different route on a whim for a while is not unusual. All leaving a gas station or from a coffee break in unison is also not a requirement. The smokers stop here there and everywhere, the rest of us push on. Agreed we try and rendevous at night or atleast leave cell ph messages with one of the 'other' party. Sounds like they were reasonably quick to take action once he didn't show in Wanaka.
R.I.P. a lonely part of the country to be lost or broken down.

[quickbuck]

Good points there MD.
While returning from the Brass we used to split up for all sorts of reasons, and for most of the day too (just to see bits we wanted to see, and others didn't etc). Lovely country down there, and challenging.

RIP to the fallen biker.
Sad to hear of another loss of somebody doing what they loved.

[Drum]

RIP mate. What a bugger.

[paturoa]

The Police have released his name http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10418258


".....He was Rodney Edward Baker (34), a warehouse supervisor, of Mangere, Auckland.

Mr Baker had travelled from Auckland on a motorcycle tour with two companions, who reported him missing on Friday night. Senior Constable Robin Manera, of Haast, said it appeared Mr Baker died when he failed to take a bend and went over a cliff at Clarke Bluff.

RIP

[doc]

there was a young man found in the buller gourge...17 YEARS after he crashed... still on his bike...
lets hope the biker just went home!!!

i would hate to try and find ANYONE down there...

Crikey he would have been cold.

[denill]

It comes back to one of the basics of group riding - Unless you are TEC, always keep at least one head light of another rider in view in your mirror. If you lose sight of any headlights then slow down and if after a few seconds there is still no sign then stop, wait a few more seconds, then turn back. Whoever had your head light in their mirror will do the same etc.

Firstly, extremely sad and sincere sympathy to relatives.

Secondly. Yes Jantar! You are one hundred % right! But, don't ever expect that to ever happen in a group of more than two. I know it should work but it just doesn't.
I recall admonishing a rider who failed to stop at an intersection, so that he could direct the next rider in the right direction. (The consequences were considerable) His reason for not stopping was, "I thought the rider in front of me might not stop at the next intersection"??


That way no-one is ever left behind.

Including TEC.

[Indiana_Jones]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3922140a11.html

"Motorcyclists in general are educated and not fools. They are aware of risk; no-one has their head in the sand and people know if there's a challenging situation."

"Foreign riders said New Zealanders were fantastic riders with high skill levels, he said."

Well I guess they're not saying "bad bad bad bikers!"

-Indy

[DEMONICST8]

For all you people wondering his bike was a Silver Honda Magna 250
He was a very close friend, we worked together 5 days a week and meet up on weekends to drink and talk about bikes.
He was a member of these forums, his name was grey ghost
He will be missed

[denill]

For all you people wondering his bike was a Silver Honda Magna 250
He was a very close friend, we worked together 5 days a week and meet up on weekends to drink and talk about bikes.
He will be missed
This is going to be tough on family and people like yourself who knew the poor guy.
Life is just not fair - enjoy the bit that you get.

[car]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3922140a11.html

"Motorcyclists in general are educated and not fools. They are aware of risk; no-one has their head in the sand"

I'm not convinced. Many of us are aware of the risk in the same way that the general public are aware that the chances of winning the lottery are exceedingly low -- i.e. without any realistic grasp on how the statistics and probabilities will relate to them, as an individual.

[Keystone19]

Condolences to family and and those who knew him.

RIP Grey Ghost.

[LilSel]

RIP Grey Ghost.

Thoughts with family and friends at this time

[nudemetalz]

RIP Grey Ghost.

Rear footpegs down for the Nudes family of bikes.

[XP@]

RIP Grey Ghost.

Condolences to all family and friends.

[Joni]

Guys, please keep this in mind:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=41519

Stay safe out there and condolences to the family and friends.

:(

[Paul in NZ]

For all you people wondering his bike was a Silver Honda Magna 250
He was a very close friend, we worked together 5 days a week and meet up on weekends to drink and talk about bikes.
He was a member of these forums, his name was grey ghost
He will be missed

I'm even sorrier to hear that now - Bloody sad...

RIP

[onearmedbandit]

For all you people wondering his bike was a Silver Honda Magna 250
He was a very close friend, we worked together 5 days a week and meet up on weekends to drink and talk about bikes.
He was a member of these forums, his name was grey ghost
He will be missed

I saw them at a servo in chch, stood out because the 250 was very small, at first I mistook it for a mini-chopper. Sad news indeed. RIP.

[placidfemme]

RIP Grey Ghost... May you forever ride the twisties in the sky!

[quickbuck]

For all you people wondering his bike was a Silver Honda Magna 250
He was a very close friend, we worked together 5 days a week and meet up on weekends to drink and talk about bikes.
He was a member of these forums, his name was grey ghost
He will be missed


Condolences to you DEMONICST8. (and other friends and family of grey ghost).

I realise you had a bad feeling about this, and I am genuinely sorry to hear your worst fears have been confirmed.

Stay safe.

[Shewolf]

For all you people wondering his bike was a Silver Honda Magna 250
He was a very close friend, we worked together 5 days a week and meet up on weekends to drink and talk about bikes.
He was a member of these forums, his name was grey ghost
He will be missed

Condolences to the family, DEMONICST8 and other friends of greyghost

[yungatart]

RIP
Our thoughts are with family and friends

[sunhuntin]

Firstly, extremely sad and sincere sympathy to relatives.

Secondly. Yes Jantar! You are one hundred % right! But, don't ever expect that to ever happen in a group of more than two. I know it should work but it just doesn't.
I recall admonishing a rider who failed to stop at an intersection, so that he could direct the next rider in the right direction. (The consequences were considerable) His reason for not stopping was, "I thought the rider in front of me might not stop at the next intersection"??

Including TEC.

yep..one group ride i went on had no markers at two main points. one in a small country town. come up on a round about, its only by luck the girl in front of me knew where to go, and thankfully the rest of our group of laggers followed. the second was the turn off to the rest site....splits off the main highway to new plymouth. there was no designated marker, just another rider sitting in the turn looking lost. most of them kept on heading towards new plymouth [including members of the hosting club!] again, thankfully, someone who knew where to go showed up. the group that split had to be chased down.

i never expect a member in a group to babysit me except to not let me or others get lost [like the above points] and i dont babysit others [except in the above points] i am glad with my last ride where the fence post jumped out, my buddy was watching his mirror for my light, and when it didnt show up, he came back. dont babysit, but watch for headlights not appearing.

[Scorpygirl]

RIP Gray Ghost. Ride free forever. Condolences to all his family and friends, especially DEMONICST8. Thoughts and prayers are with you all at this very sad time.

[Titanium]

R.I.P, another taken all too soon .......

[Kittyhawk]

DEMONICST8 - thanks for telling me.

I only knew Grey Ghost on here and through texting, we were ment to be getting around to organising a ride together. Seemd a nice guy.

Im just gutted! :bye: will miss him.

*hugs to his family friends and anyone who knew him*

[mandl]

rip dude...
he had an awsum send of with harleys, race bikes and scooters
a great mate ill neva forget