Missing Gisborne fishing boat: Tributes for lost men, rescue ...

Elwood Higgins is one three fishermen missing off the Gisborne coast.

Loved ones of three missing fishermen lost in huge seas off the Gisborne coast are paying tribute to the men tonight as a search operation is suspended until first light tomorrow.

A woman claiming to be a relative of one of the missing men has posted an emotional plea for her brother to be found.

She said one of the stricken fishermen was Elwood Higgins.

”Come on my brother, [I am] breaking into pieces over here listening to this storm kicking in. Feeling sooo exhausted, scared and helpless,” she said.

”[I have] already been through enough heartbreak for this lifetime. Make your way home to us and bring your mates home with you too xx.

”Keep the karakia coming e te whānau xx.”

Another anxious person responded to the woman’s social media post: “Sending love and prayers my cuz, i did a karakia at 6pm for your brother and the others to pray for there [sic] safety and safe return.”

One person wrote: “We command the storm to cease, for the seas to calm and for these men to be found now, in Jesus’ name.”

A major search and rescue operation under way for the three men has been called off for the night and will resume tomorrow morning.

“Atrocious weather conditions” have been hampering the rescue bid after two survivors from a missing fishing vessel were spotted alive in the water off Mahia this afternoon by crew on the bulk carrier African Tiger.

However, crew were unable to rescue the stricken pair due to the dangerously difficult weather conditions, Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) general manager Justin Allan said.

“The vessel attempted to provide the men with any available rescue materials they could throw overboard including life rings and flotsam.

“However, due to the severe weather conditions they were unable to be rescued. The 180m African Tiger was unable to remain on scene due to the deteriorating weather conditions.

“Efforts were made by both boats and aircraft to keep track and rescue the two missing people. However, these attempts were not successful due to high winds and seas, and the people are still in the water.”

A third person is still missing.

A NZDF P-8A Poseidon dropped a life raft in the vicinity of where the people were in the water. It is not known whether they reached the raft.

Assessments on plans for tomorrow will be made overnight, and efforts will start again at first light.

“RCCNZ is working throughout the night to assess drift patterns, source additional onshore and offshore rescue capabilities and continues to make every effort to carry out a successful rescue.

“RCCNZ wants to thank those who have been involved and supported the search today, and the thoughts of the personnel goes out to the family and friends of the missing people.”

Allan said swells and gusts associated with the severe weather conditions were making the rescue operation dangerous on the water and in the air.

“Swells are getting up as high as 6 metres and winds are gusting up to 50 knots.”

RCCNZ was continuing to work with a range of agencies to co-ordinate rescuers in a bid to safely get the men out of the water.

“There has and continues to be support from Coastguard, rescue helicopter operators, the New Zealand Defence Force and vessels of opportunity in the area. Rescuers are continuing to do their very best in incredibly trying conditions and we are hugely grateful for their efforts.

“Our thoughts are with everyone closely connected to this situation and we continue to keep them updated. These are incredibly stressful and difficult times for everyone involved,” Allan said.

“At this time, the men are still in the water.”

Search launched yesterday after missing boat failed to return to port

Tatapouri Fishing Club president Roger Faber, who was earlier excited two of the men had been spotted, said the mood had deteriorated again as the search was suspended for the night.

“Obviously there was a high when we heard the two of them had been found, but from what we’re aware of, they’ve been lost again and the search has been called off for the night,” Faber said.

”We have heard about the life raft being dropped in their vicinity, but how close to them? We don’t know and we’re just hoping that they managed to find it and get into it.”

Faber said some of the families were at the fishing club waiting for any news.

”But obviously we haven’t had much news. We’ve been watching the [tracking] apps and things, we saw the Coastguard from Napier turn back and the planes and helicopters manoeuvring around.

”It was a very sleepless night for a lot of people last night, so hopefully we’ll get an hour or two tonight.”

A search was launched yesterday afternoon when a recreational fishing vessel was reported overdue after a planned day’s fishing off Gisborne.

Three people were on board. The alert was initially raised to police just before 4pm.

This afternoon, the African Tiger spotted two people in the water off the Mahia Peninsula.

“Visual contact has been lost but urgent actions to relocate are under way,” RCCNZ’s operations manager Michael Clulow said.

Vessels had been sent to the location.

”We are working as quickly as possible to relocate and rescue these people in the water.

”They have been in the water for a long time now, and will be cold and tired.

”Weather conditions in the area are atrocious, making it extremely difficult for responders on the water and in the air.

”We are looking at a number of ways to try to safely get these people out of the water.

”Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those caught up in this rapidly evolving situation and are taking all practical steps to save lives,” he said.

This response is being supported by the NZDF, Napier Harbour Tugs, NZ Coastguard and rescue helicopter providers.

‘We were expecting the worst’

Earlier today, Faber said “everyone is rapt” to learn two of the missing boaties had been found alive, and emergency services were still hopeful of finding the third.

He understood the two survivors had been spotted clinging to life rings.

”They were found by the aeroplane that was up searching, they [the aircraft] diverted the African Tiger, which is a log boat that was heading up the coast.

”The African Tiger did locate them, but the conditions were atrocious and they got blown off them. You know, big ships like that can’t manoeuvre that well. And they lost sight of them.

”The plane is still searching out there and the helicopter has been sent from Gisborne and is searching the area.”

Faber understood the plan was for a helicopter to drop a life raft to the stricken men because it didn’t have winching capabilities in this weather.

”The Coastguard from Napier has been dispatched, but whether they will be able to get out there or not, we’re unsure.

”Everybody is absolutely rapt that the two of them have been found. We’ve got our fingers crossed [that] the third will also be found.

”You know, great news – we were expecting the worst. So it’s great to have found two of them, but it would have been even greater if all three are found.”

‘They are experienced, resilient, they’re very tough’

Eastland Rescue Helicopter Trust chairman Patrick Wilock knows two of the men missing off Mahia and he said they’re experienced and resourceful.

They were aged about 30-40, he said.

“They are experienced, they are resilient, and you know, when I heard it was them I was in shock.

“But you know, they’re very tough. They’re the sort of guys who would be thinking quickly on their feet.

“Let’s say they’ve been in there over 12 hours now. They’ll be exhausted. But if they’ve got flotation devices then it’s just a matter of time to locate them and get them.

“It’ll be dynamite for a helicopter trying to winch in the weather out there though. It’s going to be tough for rescuers.

“All of us are just thinking of the families and just hoping for the best, hoping that a miracle will happen.

“It is a bit of a worry that they’re only reporting that they’ve seen two when there are three of them out there.”

‘They’re in that water’

Wairoa District Mayor Craig Little said people were hoping for the best for the boaties stranded off the coast of his district.

Little said one of the boaties’ families was well known in Wairoa.

”Our hearts go out to those families. There are three families and just imagine them all,” Little told the Herald.

”It’s just tragic, just horrendous. It’s absolute sadness. All we can do is hope for the best.

”It’s just like you’re feeling quite sick for the families. They’re in that water, they’ve seen that ship and they’ve seen the helicopter, but they haven’t got the gear to get them out yet.”

Huge seas hampering search for missing boaties

Faber earlier told RNZ the three fishermen who were on the missing boat were “very experienced” and regularly out on the water.

A major search was launched yesterday for the missing 7m vessel after it failed to return to Gisborne as planned.

It’s understood the crew planned to head towards Mahia to catch fish.

Initially, it was believed there were two people onboard the vessel but the RCCNZ subsequently confirmed three people were onboard.

The last known communication of the missing boat was with another vessel before 10am on Monday when it was about 20km offshore.

Faber raised the alarm when the boat failed to return to shore.

Terrible weather conditions would prevent Coastguard from continuing its sea search today, Faber said.

Helicopters were carrying out a shoreline search but the sea was too rough to tackle, he said.

“We’ve got very heavy fog, heavy rain, inshore and offshore, the nor’easter is blowing very strong, it’s predicted to get a lot worse this morning ... up to 50 knots with 8m seas,” he said.

“There’s no way that they’re putting anyone to sea to do a search in those conditions.”

‘Just a matter of sitting with fingers crossed’

Faber told RNZ those missing were members of the club and “very experienced” fishermen.

“They do know what they’re doing, they’re out there regularly.”

Three boats had headed out together Monday morning, with Faber on board one of them. Two boats, his included, decided to “pull the pin” about 11am in deteriorating weather conditions, and tried to get in touch with the now missing vessel to let them know, but did not hear back.

Faber’s last communication with the missing boat was about 9.30am on Monday, when they told him of their plans to head towards Mahia.

“We’re hoping that they’ve been pushed ashore down that way somewhere, and are sitting on shore where there’s no communications, and they’re found down there.”

The whānau of the three men were down by the boat ramp in Gisborne’s inner harbour, Faber said.

“They’re all coming back to the fishing club for a coffee, and it’s really just a matter of sitting with fingers crossed, hoping for some good news.”

Coastguard Gisborne, the Gisborne Rescue Helicopter, and several vessels supported the initial search on Monday evening.

Overnight, a NZDF P-8A Poseidon undertook a radar search off Poverty Bay, Northern Hawke’s Bay, and the Mahia Peninsula.

On Tuesday morning, a helicopter was searching between Gisborne and the Mahia Peninsula.

The RCCNZ said more aircraft would join the search as conditions allowed.

Clulow said heavy rain, strong winds and large seas were forecast in the area on Tuesday, making the search challenging.