Overdue fishing boat located
 
22.09.2004
 
An air force Orion today found a fishing boat with three crew members on board that had been due back in port north of Wellington last Sunday.

The 18.3m Extreme Limits was found at 9.10am about 90km west of Cape Egmont, Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand said in a statement.

All on board were safe and the boat was expected to return to Mana, northwest of Wellington, about 6pm today.

"We are very happy to have found these guys and to discover that they are safe," search mission co-ordinator Neville Blakemore said.

"Unfortunately this situation could have been avoided or made less complicated if the vessel concerned had of maintained at least daily contact with a coastal radio station or its owner."

The search for the boat started after its concerned owner contacted police last night.

The boat had left Mana on September 12 and had been due to return there on Sunday.