BORA BORA, French Polynesia—A CANADIAN MAN ON VACATION HERE REMAINS MISSING for the third straight day after a hiking expedition in the nearby mountain range. The general manager of the Bora Bora Nui, where the man was staying with his wife, has reportedly requested the assistance of the French national army in a “search and recovery” operation.

The man did not return to his room at the hotel as expected on the evening of March 22. Daytime temperatures here have been in the mid to upper 80s, with overnight lows in the mid 70s.

Helicopters have been seen sporadically flying over the area, but have made little progress as the jungle here is too dense to locate the stranded tourist from the air. Air rescue efforts have been halted until search and rescue teams on the ground can make progress in locating the man.

A regional fuel strike in French Polynesia during Easter weekend has complicated the search and recovery efforts and is causing delays in international air travel to and from Papeete, the main international airport in Tahiti.

Developing….

© 2008 SAM PAGE