Family and close friend of missing Queenstown woman Erika Rodrigues Coelho speak out for the first time
The family of Erika Rodrigues Coelho, a Brazilian surgeon who went missing in Queenstown, New Zealand, is speaking out for the first time. They remain hopeful for her safety while relying on her partner and friends for updates on the ongoing search.
Why it matters
The case highlights the international concern for missing persons and the challenges faced by families when a loved one disappears in a foreign country.
Erika Rodrigues Coelho on a cycling trail in New Zealand in June 2025. The Queenstown woman has been missing since September 18.
The family of missing Queenstown woman Erika Rodrigues Coelho say they are devastated but holding on to hope she is alive, almost two weeks after she disappeared.
The 47-year-old Brazilian, who has not been seen or heard from since September 18, was a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon who moved to New Zealand to improve her English and hoped to have her medical qualifications recognised here.
Speaking to the Herald from Brazil, her older brother Alexandre Coelho said the family was “in shock”.
Her family is from Paraná, Brazil, where her mother, 71, and father, 76, live.
Alexandre said he was particularly worried about his mother, who was struggling to eat and sleep as the family waited thousands of kilometres away for news.
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