Search authorities want answers after wild goose chase

9.00am

Search and rescue authorities want to know why they were not told the crew of a fishing boat sinking north of New Zealand had been rescued several hours before an Orion left Whenuapai to search for them.

The Loung Dar was believed to have sunk about 6pm near the Kermadec Islands about 300 nautical miles north of New Zealand, possibly while it was fishing illegally in Fiji or New Zealand territorial waters.

The Maritime Safety Authority is now investigating whether the fishing vessel's agents deliberately gave the wrong co-ordinates.

Rescue authorities in Fiji and New Zealand were told about 5pm the boat was sinking and the 20 crew members were taking to liferafts.

However, they were not told the crew had been rescued and an Orion search aircraft which left Whenuapai at 10pm searched for two hours but failed to find any sign of the liferafts or the four other fishing vessels they were told were in the area.

The Orion search radar has a range of more than 100 nautical miles at 5000ft and search and rescue authorities believe they may have been given the wrong co-ordinates by the fishing boat's agents in Fiji.

National Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman, Paul Harrison said today several questions needed to be answered.

He said as soon as the sinking alert was received it was broadcast on all maritime radio frequencies. Four Taiwanese fishing boats were in the area.

"None of those Taiwanese vessels responded to the calls."

When the Orion failed to find any sign of any vessels at the co-ordinates given by the agent for the sinking ship, the co-ordinates were checked again but the agent refused to supply communications details for the ship going to the rescue.

He said the crew had been rescued several hours before the Orion left Auckland.

Maritime Safety Authority director Russell Kilvington said today it was too soon to comment.

"We are reviewing the matter."

- NZPA