As the search for a man missing in a dinghy off the Napier coast intensifies today, police have revealed that the 2.4m boat contains no equipment beyond a set of oars.
The missing man was today named as Ngati John Cornelius, 25, of Awatoto, 6km south of Napier.
Hawke's Bay police search and rescue co-ordinator Detective Sergeant Luke Shadbolt said there were "major concerns" now for Mr Cornelius' safety.
"There has been a strong 25-30 knot direct offshore wind that would have carried Mr Cornelius out to sea, possibly some distance. Our search area is 1000 nautical square miles, so we have a significant search on our hands."
Mr Shadbolt said police did not know why Mr Cornelius had taken to the sea in the early hours of yesterday morning.
"We believe he went out in the early hours of the morning, but we don't know why. We understand he had been drinking beforehand."
Police are appealing for sightings of Mr Cornelius' 8ft aluminium dinghy, which they said had no other equipment on board except a set of oars.
When the search began, it involved a Coastguard spotter plane and boat.
As it progressed, the Hawke's Bay rescue helicopter and a Coastguard boat were called in. Late yesterday afternoon a second spotter plane with specialist radar searching equipment was brought in from Taupo.
Shoreline searches between Awatoto and Cape Kidnappers yesterday and at first light today have also failed to find any signs of Mr Cornelius.
Rescue Co-ordination Centre mission head Geoff Lunt said the Taupo-based spotter plane would search an area of about 700 sq km north-east of Cape Kidnappers today, some of which would overlap yesterday's 2400 sq km search area.
The Hawke's Bay rescue helicopter would be used for a close inshore search.
Weather conditions are forecast to worsen today, with offshore winds increasing to 40 knots (70km/h).
- NZPA
