The New Zealand Defence Force is helping search for three fishermen
who have been missing at sea off the Pacific island-nation of Kiribati
since last week.
Air Component Commander Commodore Darryn Webb said a P-3K2 Orion
surveillance aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force's 5
Squadron left Whenuapai at 7.30am today and was expected to reach the
search area, which is about 3500km north of New Zealand, around
2.30pm.
Webb said Fiji's Rescue Coordination Centre, which is responsible for
the search area, requested the NZDF's assistance after a search by a
local aircraft and patrol boat met no success.The missing fishermen
were due home in Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, on 5 December.
The Air Force's NH90 medium utility helicopters and the P-3K2 Orion
surveillance aircraft have flown more than 200 flying hours on 16
search and rescue missions in New Zealand and the south west Pacific
since January.Missions to the Pacific account for about 85 per cent of
total hours flown on search and rescue operations.