Gizzy chopper involved in search for six hours

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter crews involved in the search for a missing fisherman off the coast of Hawke’s Bay covered over 60 square kilometres of ocean during their nearly six hours of flying time involved in the extensive search.

A crewman off the Japanese-built 29-metre steel hull trawler Pacific Challenger was reported to have gone overboard at around 8pm on Monday when the vessel was 11 kilometres offshore from Waimārama.

Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre suspended the search on Tuesday evening after no sign was found of the missing man.

The Gisborne-based rescue chopper joined the search at 8am on Tuesday and was involved until 3pm on Tuesday.

“Search conditions were good, with sea conditions relatively calm,” a local chopper spokesman said.

“The two crews who were involved covered about 20 square (nautical) miles of ocean as part of the grid search pattern that was established.”

Helicopters from Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Auckland, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force were part of it.

Maritime NZ said yesterday it was a “sustained search effort”.

Police have now taken charge of an inquiry into the disappearance of the man.

A police spokesman said officers were working to gather information on the circumstances and would continue to work alongside Maritime NZ and Coastguard.

The Trust Tairāwhiti chopper had responded to a medical event in Wairoa at 11.12pm on Monday and after flying the patient to hospital in Hawke's Bay, remained in Hastings so they could join the search for the missing fisherman the following morning.

The team conducted three search cycles – each of nearly two hours – hot refuelling between search periods.