By Kim Choe
Police say they hold grave fears for a two-year-old missing in West Auckland since yesterday evening.
It has now been more than 24 hours since Aisling Symes was last seen.
There has been no sign of Aisling since she wandered away from her Henderson home late yesterday.
The toddler's parents were too upset to talk today but Aisling's aunt, Aithne Potts, says they are not giving up hope.
“Well basically we're all just hoping for the best,” she says.
“It was six degrees last night, freezing, raining, and we've looked everywhere.”
Ms Potts says Aisling is a typical two-year-old who had just started to go exploring.
“Just in the last few days she was starting to, you know, wander up the driveway and we'd have to go and fetch her back again,” she says.
A team of over 100 police, plus volunteers, have been searching the neighbourhood since last night.
Inspector Gary Davey says the nearby river is the main focus of the police search.
“That's a very serious concern for us, we know that Aisling did like the water and it obviously presents a natural hazard,” he says.
Police say there is no evidence to suggest foul play, but won't rule anything out.
They still want to hear from an Asian woman in her 30s with long black hair who was seen speaking to Aisling on Longburn Road yesterday evening.
Mr Davey says the woman may have been trying to assist Aisling.
“The witness has placed the Asian woman walking up behind Aisling and actually touching her on the shoulder and walking around the corner,” he says.
“So we're hoping that she may be trying to offer Aisling assistance and that's why we'd like to know just exactly what's taken place there.”
The search will continue tonight with weather overnight expected to be warmer than yesterday, but that will be only a small comfort for the family.
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