A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion has finished its search today for three Tokelauan teens missing in a small runabout since early yesterday, and the search will be reviewed again tomorrow.
The two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old went missing from the village of Atafu about 1am local time.
They were last seen some hours earlier searching for fuel for their small aluminium boat, which had an 18 horsepower outboard motor.
The P3K Orion maritime search aircraft was yesterday diverted to provide assistance to Tokelauan authorities.
The Orion had finished searching an initial area, and an additional area the centre had mapped out, without finding the boys.
"It's now finished all it can do," Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) spokeswoman Rosemary Neilson said.
"The situation will be reviewed in the morning, in terms of making any decisions about other search areas to try."
A Samoan Navy patrol boat had also arrived early this afternoon, and would search until nightfall along with local vessels.
The RCCNZ was using modelling to determine search areas in terms of drift patterns, and was liaising with searchers.
- NZPA
No sign of missing Tokelauan teens
A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion. Photo / Supplied
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