NZ POLICE
CCTV captured a man, believed to be missing man David Holland, walking across Tauranga’s Sandhurst Drive overpass on Friday 11 March 2022.
The ex-partner of a Bay of Plenty doctor who has been missing for a year says the world is a worse place without him.
Rita Khabitueva hopes that new CCTV footage, believed to be of David Holland, released by police, will jog someone’s memory, especially as it was shot slightly earlier than the previous footage that was made public.
“This has brought attention back to him and hopefully some people will remember something from a year ago.”
Khabitueva, who had remained best friends with the Netherlands, said it had been a difficult year without him, the pair meeting in 2020 as new residents of the Bay of Plenty.
READ MORE:
* Search for missing Tauranga doctor halted
* ‘Really overwhelming’ – mother of missing British doctor joins Bay of Plenty search
* British family of missing doctor travels to NZ, London medical school ‘worried’
* No trace of missing Tauranga Doctor or anything of interest, through hundreds of searches
“It has been extremely difficult. Life has changed and the world has become a worse place without him.”
Holland was 31 when he went missing and was last seen at his home on Pāpāmoa Beach on March 11, 2022.
The footage showed a man walking alone across the Sandhurst Dr viaduct, up Turman Lane and then north on SH29A at around 7:58pm the night Holland went missing.
delivered
At first it was thought that David Holland was planning to go swimming. He has not been seen since he left his home in Pāpāmoa.
The images show a man with hiking boots, long light brown pants and a dark colored top with long sleeves and a hood.
Following this new information, the police and LANDSAR also searched the Matapihi/Maungatapu area without success.
When Holland failed to show up for work at Tauranga Hospital, friends and whānau expressed concern for his well-being and a police investigation into missing persons began.
It was initially believed that he intended to go for a swim at the beach at the end of Pacific View Road.
Khabitueva said Holland liked to go to the beach to swim or relax, snorkel, so it wasn’t unusual for him to wander.
Last year, more than a hundred people came looking for him — which Khabitueva says shows how many people he touched during his time in the area.
“David’s disappearance has touched so many people, so deeply, so deeply on his loved ones, but everyone he knew, his family, friends and audience, their whole lives have changed since he’s gone.”
The hardest thing for Khabitueva is that it would have been Holland to whom she would have turned to talk about this situation.
NZ POLICE
David Holland’s ex-partner hopes that the new images will trigger memories in people.
Police, LANDSAR, Surf Life Saving NZ, Coastguard and approximately 148 volunteers have taken part in extensive land searches to the Netherlands.
A total of 612 hours were searched.
Police said they have received a number of tips from the community, but his whereabouts remain unknown.
The police would like to hear from anyone who has seen the Netherlands or has information about its movements or whereabouts.
Anyone with information is urged to call 105 and state file number 220312/6869.
Friends gather on Saturday to commemorate the Netherlands one year after his disappearance.