The bodies of three men from a fishing boat missing off the East Coast have been found on the shores of Māhia this morning.
“Formal identification is ongoing, but they are believed to be the fishermen reported missing on Monday,” a police spokesperson said.
Earlier, two of them were spotted alive in huge seas yesterday.
The staff at Maritime NZ and its Rescue Co-ordination Centre this morning extended their thoughts and condolences to those impacted by the tragic events off Gisborne.
Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club president Roger Faber was part of a group of three boats that went out on Monday. Two had turned back as the weather turned nasty, while the three fishermen were on the third boat, which went missing.
Faber told Three’s AM Show this morning the community would be “absolutely broken” to wake up to hear the three men’s bodies had been found - especially after two had been spotted alive.
”We all thought, ‘hey we’re going to have a great outcome’ - but to have this news this morning is absolutely devastating,” he said.
He added the worst part was being unable to do anything.
”Every boat in this marina would have been out searching if they possibly could have, but the conditions just haven’t allowed us to do that. It’s gut wrenching.”
The Coastguard had to turn back last night before reaching the men, due to the weather conditions.
”I know those guys, they …pride themselves in being able to do the job,” he said.
“It would have been one of the hardest things they would have probably ever had to [do].”
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said it is very sad day for Tairāwhiti.
”As a community, we are in mourning and we are asking the community to give the families involved time to mourn their loved ones and to bring their men home,” she said.
”I know every person in Tairāwhiti would have known one of the men. They were much loved, well respected and will be missed.
”We will wrap our love around the families when they are ready.”
RCCNZ general manager Justin Allan said it was a difficult and complex search and rescue operation.
”Weather conditions in the area were severe, and rescuers went right to their limits to get to the area we received reports the people in the water were, confirm their location and attempt to remove them from the sea.
”Responders from the region, as well as rescue aircraft sourced from across the North Island had to battle atrocious conditions; including swells of up to and at times more than six metres, 50-knot winds and low visibility, showing how determined they were to reach the men in the water.
”Unfortunately, the sea and weather conditions were too severe.”
One of the missing men was named last night as Elwood Higgins, as tributes for the lost fishermen were posted online by anxious loved ones.
A woman who said she was a relative of one of the missing men made an emotional plea yesterday for her brother to be found.
“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.”
“Atrocious weather conditions” hampered the desperate search last night, more 24 hours on from when authorities were told a vessel had not returned to port in Gisborne just before 4pm on Monday, Maritime New Zealand said.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Boeing P-8 Poseidon dropped a life raft in the area where the men were last seen by a bulk carrier off the coast of Mahia just after 4pm yesterday.
Coastguard, rescue helicopter trusts, Napier Harbour Tugs, the Defence Force and volunteering vessels were involved in the mass search operation.
Yesterday’s search was suspended about 7pm with an expectation it would resume at first light this morning. Rescuers examined drift patterns throughout the night and ensured enough resources were ready to continue the search.
Two of the men, aged between 30 and 40, were spotted in the water south of Gisborne by crew on the African Tiger.
“The vessel attempted to provide the men with any available rescue materials they could throw overboard including life rings and flotsam. A third person is still missing,” Allan said.
The African Tiger’s crew then lost sight of the men.
Faber, the sports club president, yesterday said he understood two of the survivors had been seen clinging to life rings.
Eastland Rescue Helicopter Trust chairman Patrick Willock knew two of the men who he said were experienced and resourceful.
“They are experienced, they are resilient, and you know, when I heard it was them I was in shock,” Willock said.
“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 24 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.
“All of us are just thinking of the families and just hoping for the best, hoping that a miracle will happen.”
Willock said he was worried only two of the outstanding men were spotted alive by the African Tiger crew.
Wairoa District Mayor Craig Little said people were hoping for the best. One of the boaties’ families was well known in Wairoa, he said.
“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.”
The last known communication of the missing boat was with another vessel before 10am on Monday when it was about 20km offshore.
It’s understood the crew planned to head towards Māhia to catch fish.
Faber raised the alarm when the boat failed to return to shore on Monday afternoon.
“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 yesterday.
“There’s no way that they’re putting anyone to sea to do a search in those conditions.”
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.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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