“While this isn’t the outcome any of us wanted, we remain focused on bringing both people home to their whānau. A large-scale search by sea and air is ongoing, along with searches of the shoreline.
“I would like to acknowledge all of those people involved, including boaties and members of the community who offered their help,” Overton said.
Search and rescue teams earlier today found the missing fishing boat off the Northland coast.
Search teams had been looking for the vessel since 9pm yesterday.
The two people on the 17-foot, single-engine boat had been expected to return to Pataua South, east of Whangārei, at 7pm yesterday.
Police and Coastguard volunteers from Tutukaka and Whangārei were alerted at 9pm and immediately started a search.
By 2am, the police Eagle helicopter had joined the search, before it was temporarily halted at 4am.
Search teams resumed the hunt at 8am.
“I can confirm the boat was located mid-to-late morning,” a police spokesperson said earlier.
Police had community members had put out a call to vessels in Pataua Harbour and Ngunguru Bay to report sightings of the boat, described as a runabout.
A community Facebook page said the two people on the boat were male and set off from Pataua.
The post thanked search and rescue teams for their efforts during search efforts overnight.
“The night has been long and profoundly worrying for all the whānau,” it said.
It then confirmed the search resumed this morning and put out a call to all boaties and coasties along the nearby coastline.
“We Urgently Need Your Help,” the post said.
“We are calling upon our entire network.”
“If you have a boat: We urge all our whānau, friends, and friends of friends with a boat to please come and help us search.”
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