Source: Radio New Zealand
Family members raised the alarm on Friday night when the pair failed to return to Pataua South, near Whangārei. NZ Coastguard
Police are scaling back the search for a man missing off the Northland coast four days after a fishing trip came to a tragic end.
Northland police search and rescue leader Paul Overton said Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol joined the aerial search on Tuesday morning.
Police, including the national dive squad, and the navy searched a large area of sea and shoreline on Monday in the hope of finding the man’s body.
Daily shoreline searches would continue in the hope that changing currents and water pressure would help to return the missing man.
“We have extensively searched a vast area since we were first alerted on Friday night, in the hope of bringing the missing man home to his family,” Overton said.
“Our search has by no means stopped, but on Tuesday we’ll scale back and consider what other options are available to us.”
The missing boat, a six-metre runabout, was found empty and adrift near Bream Bay’s Hen and Chicken Islands on Saturday. One body was found at Pātaua North later that same day.
Family members raised the alarm on Friday evening when the pair failed to return to Pātaua South, east of Whangārei.
Overton said agencies and volunteers involved in the search included the Police Eagle helicopter, Land Search and Rescue, Coastguard Tūtūkākā and Coastguard Whangārei.
Police appreciated the many offers of help and supportive messages they had received from the public and those wishing to help, he said.
“It’s been a really challenging time for everyone involved and we are grateful to each and every person who has assisted us during the past few days.”
He urged anyone who saw anything unusual in the water in the area where the fishermen went missing to call police on 111.
A rāhui, or customary ban on swimming, fishing and seafood gathering, has been placed on the coast from Tutukākā to south of Waipu Cove, including Whangārei Harbour and the Hen and Chicken Islands.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
