Search continues for young group missing off Kiribati

File photo / Wanganui Chronicle

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion, sent to Kiribati yesterday to help in the search for six young people missing since Friday, will continue its search today.

The group - two men aged 19 and four girls aged eight, nine, 12 and 14 - were on a 3m outrigger canoe which was towing a dinghy. The were on an expedition to collect palm leaves for roofing off the west coast of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean.

"The vessels were powered by poles and are believed to have drifted out of a lagoon and into the open ocean," the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) said.

Kiribati authorities contacted the RCCNZ yesterday requesting further assistance.

The Orion reached Kiribati yesterday afternoon and started searching last night.

This morning, the Orion had resumed its search, with a local ship doing water based search and standing by if any people needed picking up, Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Sian Routledge told NZPA.

She said the Orion was prepared to continue searching all day, and would re assess the situation tomorrow if need be.

- NZPA