Two survivors have been spotted alive in the water by searchers hunting for a missing Gisborne fishing boat that failed to return to port yesterday.

A rescue mission is now under way to pluck the stricken boaties to safety, but rescuers have lost sight of the pair and are working to relocate them.

The Herald understands the two men were seen clinging to life rings in huge seas by a passing search plane, and that there was no sign of their missing 7m boat.

A third crew member is yet to be located.

A search was launched yesterday afternoon after a recreational fishing vessel was reported overdue, after a planned day’s fishing off Gisborne.

Three people were on board. The alert was initially raised to police just before 4pm.

This afternoon, a container vessel, the African Tiger, spotted two people in the water off the Mahia Peninsula.

“Visual contact has been lost but urgent actions to relocate is under way,” the Rescue Coordination Centre of NZ said.

RCCNZ’s operation’s manager Michael Clulow said vessels had been sent to the location.

”We are working as quickly as possible to relocate and rescue these people in the water.

”They have been in the water for a long time now, and will be cold and tired.

”Weather conditions in the area are atrocious, making it extremely difficult for responders on the water and in the air.

”We are looking at a number of ways to try and safely get these people out of the water.

”Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those caught up in this rapidly evolving situation and are taking all practical steps to save lives,” he said.

This response is being supported by the NZDF, Napier Harbour Tugs, NZ Coastguard and rescue helicopter providers.

‘We were expecting the worst’

Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club president Roger Faber said “everyone is rapt” to learn two of the missing boaties have been found alive, and emergency services are still hopeful of finding the third.

He understood the two survivors had been spotted clinging to life rings.

”They were found by the aeroplane that was up searching, they [the aircraft] diverted the African Tiger, which is a log boat that was heading up the coast.

”The African Tiger did locate them, but the conditions were atrocious and they got blown off them. You know, big ships like that can’t manoeuvre that well. And they lost sight of them.

”The plane is still searching out there and the helicopter has been sent from Gisborne and is searching the area.”

Faber understood the plan was for a helicopter to drop a life raft to the stricken men because it didn’t have winching capabilities in this weather.

”The Coastguard from Napier has been dispatched, but whether they will be able to get out there or not, we’re unsure.

”Everybody is absolutely rapt that the two of them have been found. We’ve got our fingers crossed [that] the third will also be found.

”You know, great news – we were expecting the worst. So it’s great to have found two of them, but it would have been even greater if all three are found.”

‘They’re in that water’

Wairoa District mayor Craig Little said people were hoping for the best for the boaties stranded off the coast of his district.

Little said one of the boaties’ families was well known in Wairoa.

”Our hearts go out to those families. There are three families and just imagine them all,” Little told the Herald.

”It’s just tragic, just horrendous. It’s absolute sadness. All we can do is hope for the best.

”It’s just like you’re feeling quite sick for the families. They’re in that water, they’ve seen that ship and they’ve seen the helicopter, but they haven’t got the gear to get them out yet.”

Huge seas hampering search for missing boaties

Faber earlier told RNZ the three fishermen who were on the missing boat were “very experienced” and regularly out on the water.

A major search was launched yesterday for the missing 7m vessel after it failed to return to Gisborne as planned.

It’s understood the crew planned to head towards Mahia to catch fish.

Initially, it was believed there were two people onboard the vessel, Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre. However, it had subsequently confirmed three people were onboard.

The last known communication of the missing boat was with another vessel before 10am on Monday, when it was about 20km off shore.

Faber raised the alarm when the boat failed to return to shore.

Terrible weather conditions would prevent Coastguard from continuing its sea search today, Faber said.

Helicopters were carrying out a shoreline search, but the sea was too rough to tackle, he said.

“We’ve got very heavy fog, heavy rain, in shore and off shore, the nor’easter is blowing very strong, it’s predicted to get a lot worse this morning … up to 50 knots with eight metre seas,” he said.

“There’s no way that they’re putting anyone to sea to do a search in those conditions.”

‘Just a matter of sitting with fingers crossed’

Faber told RNZ those missing were members of the club and “very experienced” fishermen.

“They do know what they’re doing, they’re out there regularly.”

Three boats had headed out together Monday morning, with Faber on board one of them. Two boats – his included – decided to “pull the pin” about 11am in deteriorating weather conditions, and tried to get in touch with the now missing boat to let them know, but did not hear back.

Faber’s last communication with the missing boat was about 9.30am on Monday, when they told him of their plans to head towards Mahia.

“We’re hoping that they’ve been pushed ashore down that way somewhere, and are sitting on shore where there’s no communications, and they’re found down there.”

The whānau of the three men were down by the boat ramp in Gisborne’s inner harbour, Faber said.

“They’re all coming back to the fishing club for a coffee, and it’s really just a matter of sitting with fingers crossed, hoping for some good news.”

Coastguard Gisborne, the Gisborne Rescue Helicopter, and several vessels supported the initial search on Monday evening.

Overnight, a NZDF P8 Poseidon undertook a radar search off Poverty Bay, Northern Hawke’s Bay, and the Māhia Peninsula.

On Tuesday morning, a helicopter is searching between Gisborne and the Māhia Peninsula.

The Rescue Coordination Centre said more aircraft would join the search as conditions allowed.

Operation manager Michael Clulow said heavy rain, strong winds and large seas were forecast in the area on Tuesday, making the search challenging.