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Police have warned of the dangers of mixing alcohol and boating following the disappearance of a Manurewa man during a fishing trip on the Manukau Harbour.
Grieving relatives yesterday kept vigil at Bottle Top Bay, South Auckland, as police searched for 33-year-old Ioielu Faiao, missing since Saturday
afternoon.
Mr Faiao and his cousin, Miki Ah Chong, went into the water when their 12ft aluminium runabout capsized, about 4pm.
Mr Ah Chong struggled to shore using a chilly bin as a float, but Mr Faiao has not been found.
Police this morning said the search had been called off last night and would not resume unless new information came to light.
Police said neither of the men were wearing life jackets, and had been drinking before the accident.
Search leader Sergeant Dene Duthie said alcoholcould have impaired Mr Faiao's ability to swim.
"When will people learn that it is dangerous to mix alcohol with boating? There's talk about drink driving, but not enough is said about the dangers of drinking and boating.
"It was also an incident that wouldn't have happened if they'd had life jackets."
Mr Duthie said officers had spoken to Mr Ah Chong, but had not been able to get a clear account of what happened.
"The two men had been drinking quite a bit of alcohol."
Mr Ah Chong had searched the beach for his cousin following the accident, finally alerting police about 7pm on Saturday.
Mr Faiao's partner of two years, Vaosa Sanele, told the Herald she had been sitting at the water's edge since Saturday evening, hoping for his return.
Pine Faiao, 34, who drove three hours from his Te Kuiti home to the Manukau Harbour, said his brother could swim and was hopeful that he was still alive.
"We are hoping that his wealth of knowledge of the sea and its surrounds will keep him alive."
Mr Faiao said the family moved to New Zealand from Samoa 12 years ago and that his brother enjoyed his job at a magazine printing factory in Manukau.
"Fishing is not something new to him - it's his love, and every summer he takes the boat out a couple of times a week."
Mr Duthie said hopes of finding Mr Faiao alive were slim, given the Bottle Bay catchment area was small and the boat hadn't been far out to sea.
There was a possibility Mr Faiao made it to shore and anyone who might have seen him should call police, Mr Duthie said. Mr Faiao was wearing a raincoat and sleeveless top.
