Police have slashed the number of personnel searching for missing Canadian bushwalker Prabhdeep Srawn, but deny rescue efforts are being scaled back.
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The search for the 25-year-old continued in the Kosciuszko National Park on Tuesday, more than a fortnight after he was last seen.
A total of 21 personnel joined the search from 7.30am, 25 per cent less than previous numbers.
Twenty-eight personnel from NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, National Parks and Wildlife Services, State Emergency Service and NSW Ambulance Service had been expected to aid in efforts.
Despite the drop in search personnel, NSW Police stressed it was “not a matter of scaling back”. A spokeswoman said the numbers were dependent on available resources.
The fall comes amid increasing pressure for additional resources to be tasked to the search.
Friends and family of the Bond University student have been conducting an online campaign, targeting the Australian and Canadian governments through social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Mr Srawn’s cousin Ruby Singh posted an open letter to the Canadian government online on Tuesday, describing Mr Srawn as a “steady contributor to his community”.
“For those of us who know and love Prabhdeep, it is hard to understand how Canadian officials can stand by, and not take decisive and immediate action to ensure that appropriate search and rescue resources are deployed immediately in New South Wales to ensure that one of its own sons is found,” she wrote.
“Over 7000 Canadians have signed a petition in less than 48 hours to demand your intervention and to stand alongside Prabhdeep, his family, his troop, his friends and demand immediate action.”
Mr Srawn's sister, Mandeep, told Fairfax Media the family were being briefed by search co-ordinators in Jindabyne but that the number of people involved was inadequate.
''It is definitely not a large enough group of people,'' Ms Srawn said.
''There is too large an area to cover with just 28 people, when you can't rely on helicopters and need to have people walking.
''Last week they were telling us 10 people was enough to cover the area … but they need to increase resources and to find someone alive, the sooner the better.''
Ms Srawn said her parents planned to stay in Jindabyne until searchers found Mr Srawn, who was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. NSW police believe he may be wearing a red and black ski jacket including the words "Frogg Toggs".
Tuesday’s search is expected to focus on the Lady Northcote Canyon, Muellers Pass and the Cootapatamba Lake with help from Polair and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter.
- with Tom McIlroy
