NEW ORLEANS — A competitive paraglider, book author, and journalist has been missing for 11 days as of Wednesday, but his friends are not giving up hope. They decided it was worth the risk to travel during this pandemic to search and bring him home.
The outpouring of love and loyalty extends around the world.
New Zealand native James Oroc, visited New Orleans and fell in love with the city's culture. In 1997, Kiwi, as he is called, made the Crescent City his home. His New Orleans family of friends and people from all over the world are going to the ends of the earth to show their love and bring him home.
“He is very charming, very witty. He's so intelligent and well-read,” said friend Jenny Blow.
She said she remembers the text that told her Kiwi was missing. He is an international competitive paraglider who set out on a 200-mile course Aug. 22 in Nevada.
“We haven't heard from Roc,” the text read. “He's separated from his GPS.”
“I was just like that sinking feeling,” said Jenny.
She said she is going to Nevada tonight to join the many volunteers from around the world who are there looking for him.
“We had helicopters with night vision, and thermal sensors, drones to go lower,” said Jenny.
Paragliders, Army Rangers, and green berets have shown up. People across the globe are looking at real-time satellite images grid by grid hoping to spot his large, white glider amongst the rugged terrain of mountains, and desert. Jenny's husband Allen took off from his job as a NASA engineer and is already in Nevada.
“And I just felt a calling really. I'm almost positive it is something he would do for me,” said friend Allen Blow.
Local sheriffs called off the official search. They said they feel it's been too long for Kiwi to survive, but money has been pouring into his Go Fund Me page for the search planes, fuel and ATVs.
His friends said they have hope.
“But if anyone has the survival skills, even in dire situations, it's Kiwi,” said Jenny
“I guess you never really realize how important somebody is to so many people until something like this happens,” said Allen.
Kiwi's parents and sisters in New Zealand are offering a $10,000 reward for finding him.
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