The disappearing Smithies

The Dom Post reports:

The Wellington diver who resurfaced almost 300 kilometres from where he disappeared is being investigated by police for an unrelated incident.

Colin Smithies, 49, who is now in medical care, is being charged with wasting police time after a 40-person search, estimated to cost about $50,000, was launched when he was reported missing on Monday night.

Police could not explain his disappearance yesterday, but it is understood the Commerce Commission economist is the subject of another, separate police investigation. Police refused to comment on this yesterday.

As a large-scale search began in Wellington on Tuesday, Mr Smithies is thought to have been hitch-hiking his way up the North Island. At 4pm on Wednesday, “disoriented and quite distressed”, he walked into the Clive police station in inland Hawke’s Bay.

This is one of those truth is stranger than fiction stories. A commerce commission economist is not the type of person that you tend to think will be involved with almost faking his own disappearance, and then hitch-hiking away.

Will be fascinating to see what the second investigation is about.