A search is under way this evening for a missing fishing boat off the Gisborne coast, with a NZDF aircraft being brought in to use radar equipment tonight in a bid to locate the vessel and its crew.

It’s understood two people are on the missing vessel, which was expected back about 4.50pm but failed to return.

Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) operations manager Michael Clulow said the centre was coordinating a search off the coast of Gisborne after a fishing party was reported overdue this afternoon.

The alert was initially raised to police about 4.50pm.

“It wasn’t known where the party was when police were notified by a concerned contact of the fishing party. No communication has been received from the vessel since it left shore this morning.

“It is understood the party were on a 7m vessel.

“Coastguard Gisborne, a helicopter and vessels of opportunity have and were being used in the search.”

Clulow said conditions off the East Coast had been deteriorating, making the search challenging.

“We are doing everything we can to locate the missing vessel. RCCNZ have requested assistance from NZDF and a P8 Poseidon was moving into the search area tonight to undertake a radar search. Additional local resources are on standby should the vessel be located.”

Police told the Herald they received a report that a party of fishermen from Gisborne had not returned from a fishing trip as expected about 4.50pm.

“Police are liaising with Maritime New Zealand and Coastguard – Maritime NZ is the lead agency and you would need to seek any further comment from them.”

Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club president Roger Faber told the Herald the search began this evening about 5pm after the missing vessel did not return as expected.

Faber said there had been forecast winds of about 5 knots, but conditions deteriorated to 4-metre swells and 20-knot northeast winds.

He told Stuff three boats had been on the fishing trip today but one – a 6m trailer boat – didn’t return to port.

A helicopter had been sent to search for the vessel, along with Coastguard.

Faber said he was on one of the three boats, but his vessel and another turned back because the conditions were “pretty gnarly”.

They tried contacting the third vessel but received no answer.

“It wasn’t until we got back to the boat ramp and saw their trailer was still there that we had concerns for them,” he told Stuff.

Faber said the Gisborne fishing community were concerned for the fate of the missing boaties and hoping they would be found safe and well.

More to come