Air Force still searching for two fishers

An extensive search and rescue operation by Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand has found three boats caught in Pacific cyclones, but two crew members remain missing.

An Air Force Orion arrived at an area north of Samoa at midday yesterday and began a search for three fishing vessels hit by Cyclone Olaf.

One of the vessels sank on Wednesday about 150km north of Samoa in what the RCCNZ described as "atrocious weather", forcing the six crew to abandon ship.

Yesterday the Orion's crew located four people in the water and dropped two life rafts and communications equipment to them.

The four people have now been transferred to a fishing vessel, but two other crew members are still missing, RCCNZ spokesman Steve Corbett said.

A second RNZAF Orion has reached the search area and is searching for the two missing crew, helping with rescue operations and trying to locate any emergency beacons that are still activating.

Meanwhile, two commercial vessels were on their way to help an American-registered fishing boat east of American Samoa and were expected to rendezvous shortly after midnight this morning, Mr Corbett said.

The boat cannot make its own way back to port but all on board are safe at this stage.

Two vessels were on their way to aid another fishing boat with six crew aboard. They hope to reach the boat early this morning, take the three injured crew off and tow the boat back to Apia.

The first Orion will rejoin the search operation this morning if required.

Mr Corbett told NZPA it was the biggest operation for the newly formed RCCNZ, set up with a headquarters in Wellington in July last year.

A total of 14 emergency beacons had been activated in the area hit by Cyclone Olaf Wednesday and yesterday. The cyclone was thought to be heading towards the Cook Islands last night.

The beacon signals were picked up by satellite and relayed to the RCCNZ, which includes Pacific island areas in its search and rescue field.

- NZPA