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Corpse Three men missing from fishing boat off East Coast The traces were found this morning off the coast of Mahia Island.
A police spokesman said: “Formal identification is still ongoing but they are believed to be the fishermen who went missing on Monday.”
Earlier, two seals were found alive in the vast ocean yesterday.
Maritime New Zealand and its Rescue Co-ordination Centre staff have this morning expressed their thoughts and condolences to the victims of the Gisborne tragedy.
Roger Faber, president of Gisborne’s Tartapuri Sport Fishing Club, was one of three boats out to sea on Monday, one of which had the three missing fishermen on board.
He told Three’s AM Show this morning the community would be “very shocked” if they woke up to hear the bodies of three men had been found, especially after two of them were still alive.
He said: “We all thought we were going to have a good outcome – but it was a shock to hear the news this morning.”
The worst part, he added, was not being able to do anything.
“Every boat at this pier would be out searching if we could, but the conditions won’t allow us to do that. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Due to weather conditions, the Coast Guard had to turn back last night before reaching the rescuers.
“I know those guys, and they are … proud to be able to do this job,” he said. “It’s probably one of the hardest things they’ve ever had to do in their lives.”
“Sea and weather conditions were too bad”
RCCNZ general manager Justin Allan said it was a difficult and complex search and rescue operation.
“Weather conditions in the area were very bad and rescuers made every effort to reach the area. We received reports of people overboard, identified their locations and tried to rescue them from the sea.
“Rescuers in the area, as well as rescue aircraft from across the North Island, had to battle adverse conditions; including waves of six metres or more, 50 knot winds and low visibility, in their determination to save those in the water.
“Unfortunately, the sea and weather conditions were too rough.”
Last night one of the missing was identified as Elwood Higgins, as anxious relatives posted tributes to the missing fisherman online.
A woman claiming to be a relative of a missing man has made an emotional plea for people to find her brother.
“Come on, man, listening to this storm coming, it just breaks me down. It feels so exhausting, so scary, so helpless,” she said.
“(I) have been through enough heartbreak in this life. Come home and take your mates with you xx.”
“Poor weather conditions” hampered search efforts last night, with more than 24 hours having passed since authorities were told just before 4pm on Monday that a boat had not returned to Gisborne Port. Maritime New Zealand explain.
Just after 4pm yesterday, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Boeing P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft dropped a life raft from a bulk carrier off the coast of Mahia to where the two men were last seen.
The massive search operation involved the Coastguard, Rescue Helicopter Trust, Napier Port tugboats, Defence Force and volunteer vessels.
The search was suspended around 7pm yesterday evening and is expected to resume at daybreak this morning. Rescuers have been checking drift patterns throughout the night to ensure there are enough resources to continue the search.
Crew members of the Tiger spotted two men, aged between 30 and 40, in waters south of Gisborne.
However, Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) general manager Justin Allen said crews were unable to rescue the two men due to extremely bad weather conditions.
“The boats attempted to provide the men with any rescue supplies they could throw overboard, including life buoys and flotation items. The third person remains missing,” Allen said.
The crew of the African Tiger then lost track of these people.
Sports club chairman Faber said yesterday that he understood that two survivors were seen clinging to lifebuoys.
Patrick Willock, chairman of the Eastern Rescue Helicopter Trust, knew two of the men and said they were experienced and resourceful.
“They’re experienced, they’re tough, and I was shocked when I heard it was them,” Willock said.
“But you know, they’re very tough. They’re the kind of people who think fast.
“Let’s say they’ve been there for 24 hours. They must be exhausted. But if they have a flotation device, it’s only a matter of time before they are found and rescued.
“All of our thoughts are with the families of these victims, hoping for the best and hoping a miracle happens.”
Willock said he was concerned that the Tigers had found only two good soldiers alive.
Wairoa District Mayor Craig Little said people were hoping for the best. He said the family of one of the crew members was well-known in Wairoa.
“Our hearts go out to the families. There are three families, imagine all of them,” Little told The Herald.
“It’s such a tragedy, it’s horrible. It’s so sad. All we can do is hope for the best.
“You really feel for the families of those who have died. They’re in the ocean, they see the boat, they see the helicopter, but they haven’t found the equipment to get them out yet.”
The last known communication from the missing vessel was with another vessel just before 10am on Monday, when it was about 20 kilometres offshore.
It is understood that the crew planned to go to Mahia to fish.
When the boat failed to return to shore Monday afternoon, Faber sounded the alarm.
“We’ve had fog, heavy rain, offshore and inshore, very strong northeasterly winds, which are expected to get worse this morning … winds up to 50 knots and waves up to eight metres,” he said yesterday.
“Under the circumstances, it’s impossible for them to send people out to sea to search.”
Faber said family members of the three men were near the boat ramp at Gisborne’s inner harbour.
“They all went back to the fishing club to have coffee and literally just sat there praying for some good news.”
Raphael Franks is a reporter based in Oakland covering breaking news. He joined The Herald Become a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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