Grieving young mum Jess Ford heartbroken after searches fail to find body of missing fisherman

Jess Ford says she's heartbroken about the disappearance of fisherman Kieran Lynch, pictured here with their daughter Ava. Photo / Supplied

A young mum says she is heartbroken after searches for her partner, missing fisherman Kieran Lynch, were unsuccessful.

On Friday police suspended the search for Lynch, who was onboard the commercial fishing vessel Wendy J when it sunk in heavy seas off the West Coast on September 14.

Searches would only resume if new information came to light, police said.

Lynch was onboard the vessel with fellow fisherman Jay Cairney, whose body was discovered following extensive land and sea searches.

Miraculously the vessel's skipper Mark Thomas survived, and was discovered after a search was launched when debris washed up on shore.

Dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt, Thomas took shelter in a flax bush and drank from a nearby creek while awaiting rescuers.

He was found near the mouth of Teer Creek, near Jackson Bay.

Searches last week resumed for outstanding fisherman 22 year-old Lynch, who had just become a father to a baby girl with partner Jess Ford.

Baby Ava, now 10 weeks, was a first child for Ford and Lynch, and the pair was excited to become parents, Ford told the Herald on Sunday.

Ford said she was "feeling okay" about the search being called off, despite holding out hopes that Lynch would be found safe.

"(Searchers) had to do what they had to do," she said. "They had rung me and said they were going to stop the search for good.

"It is disappointing and all that because I thought (he would be found) right next to the boat but they've searched all around it."

This week divers plunged 25m below the water's surface to see if Lynch was near the wreck, but Ford said divers were unable to go inside to see if his body was there.

"I wanted them to search in the boat but they can't."

The couple formed a relationship more than a year ago.

After suspecting his "moody" partner was pregnant Lynch went to the store to buy a pregnancy test, she said.

They were delighted to learn they would be parents and Lynch had set about buying a bassinet and other items for the new arrival.

Lynch had loved being a father, she said.

"This morning I was feeding her and there's a photo of me and Kieran and Ava and she was smiling and talking (to the picture). When Kieran was here she always wanted a cuddle from him.

"I'm just glad I got heaps of family photos before he left."

After learning of his disappearance, days after going out to fish, she was "heartbroken," she said.

"I couldn't sleep and eat. I'm still the same."

Lynch's colleagues had since fundraised to give her $2000 to support she and Ava.

Maritime New Zealand is investigating the events leading up to the sinking and this week said inquiries were continuing.