(dpa) - New Zealand police called off their search Tuesday for a missing Israeli tourist who disappeared while hiking on New Zealand's rugged South Island nearly four weeks ago.
But the brother of Liat Okin, 35, said the family would continue to look for her, according to news reports.
Police said they had exhausted all possibilities after using helicopters and ground search parties in the area around the 35-kilometre Routeburn Track, where Okin was last seen on March 26.
She failed to return from the scheduled three-day hike on the track near the lakeside resort Queenstown.
Okin's brother Itamar Tas, told Radio New Zealand, "We still hope to find her alive and healthy."
Tas said trust funds had been set up in Israel and New Zealand to raise money for a continued hunt for his sister which would include Israel's most experienced search and rescue professional, Hilik Magnus.
Magnus flew to New Zealand after being called in by the family and their insurance company. Tas said local hunters, mountain guides and rangers, including some who were volunteers on the police search team, would join the privately funded hunt starting Wednesday.