An Air Force Orion is due back at Tonga’s Fua’amotu Airport at around 4pm this afternoon after failing to find any sign of two fishermen two days overdue from a fishing trip near the Kao islands.
Despite an extensive search covering about 45,000 square kilometres of a search area devised by Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand, the Orion couldn’t find any sign of the crew or their 8-metre vessel.
The Orion will rest its crew and re-fuel before heading back to the search area about 8am tomorrow morning.
Earlier today two people were safely taken off their yacht Tamujin, which had foundered on a reef off the coast of Eua Island.
Tongan police assisted the pair recover some of their belongings and will accompany them back to the mainland.
