Navy aids in missing boatie search

The overturned dinghy. Photo: ARHT.

It's all hands on deck as the search for a missing Bay of Plenty man off the Waihi Beach coast continues.

The Royal New Zealand Navy's Inshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS Taupo was deployed yesterday to help in the search.

Police say the 24-year-old man was one of three people on board a dinghy that capsized off the Bowentown Entrance to Tauranga Harbour.

A 28-year-old man and a 10-year-old child were washed ashore last night and were treated by ambulance after they were found by a local fisherman.

The New Zealand Defence Force deployed the Royal New Zealand Navy's Inshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS Taupo to search for a fisherman who was reported missing off Bowentown Harbour in the Western Bay of Plenty.

New Zealand Defence Force Commodore Jim Gilmour says Taupo, which has a crew of 24, has been in the area conducting navigation training since Monday.

'One of the roles for IPVs is search and rescue. Taupo is fitted with an optical and infrared camera which can be used for search operations.

'The Navy is always ready to help fellow mariners in distress.”

The Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust was also called in to assist with the search on Monday night.

'We utilised our night vision goggles and night sun spotlight and were part of a large scale SAR effort that included police, coastguard and the navy.

'The overturned boat was located by coastguard but unfortunately the man wasn't found by the time we were stood down at 7.35am. We refuelled at Tauranga, then returned to base.”

The view from the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust cockpit on Monday night.

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