The search for eight fishermen missing from three boats off Samoa following last week’s cyclone will resume in the
morning (Monday).
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) has spoken to the crew of both the RNZAF P3 Orion and French Navy,
which searched the coast and sea area south of Samoa today. No sign has yet been seen of the missing men.
The RCCNZ has been advised by Samoan authorities that the hull spotted by the Orion on the island of Apolima has since
been there for some weeks and is not one of targets of the current search.
RCCNZ is awaiting information from the skipper of one of the missing vessels who reached the island of Monono.
The Orion also reported a possible sighting of a hull floating 45km west of Monono but this has yet to be confirmed as
one of the boats being targeted in the search.
The air search will not resume until approximately 8am (NZ time) tomorrow (Monday, 17 December).
There will be no further update until at least that time.