By Charlotte Tonkin
Nelson police are asking for the public to report any sightings of 19-year-old Leo Lipp-Neighbours, who has been missing for seven days.
More than 30 people are searching for the engineering student but so far there have been no leads and the disappearance has police at a loss.
Charlotte Lipp, Leo's mother, wears her son's t-shirt over her shoulder to keep him close.
She is remaining confident that her son is alive.
“I love you Leo, you're alive and we're going to find you,” she says.
Lipp-Neighbours has been missing since 4am last Sunday morning.
The 19-year-old had been out drinking with friends in Nelson and was last seen driving his distinctive orange Toyota Corolla station wagon from his flat.
His bank account hasn't been touched and he's made no calls on his cell phone.
Ms Lipp says his friends took him out to boost his spirits.
“Leo was quite depressed that night so his friend tried to cheer him up for quite a few hours talking,” she says.
Police say all they know is that he's in the South Island, somewhere.
Senior constable Dave Colville, of the Nelson Police, says police have no evidence to suggest foul play is involved.
“There's nothing to say it's malicious, there's nothing to say it's suspicious, there's nothing to say there's been a car accident he's just kind of vanished,” he says.
Lipp-Neighbours had been building an off road buggy from scratch in his parents garage.
A project the University of Canterbury engineering student is passionate about.
“He worked on this all Saturday and told his mates you have to come around and see this buggy,” says Ms Lipp.
Friends and family say the teenager enjoys taking off and driving to remote areas.
Mr Colville is calling for mountain bikers, hunters, walkers and trampers to be on the look out for Lipp-Neighbours.
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