Update on SAR at Doubtful Sound

The search is continuing in Doubtful Sound this morning for the two men missing from the K'Cee crayboat.

Police were notified at 9.30am yesterday that the 13.5m aluminium crayboat with skipper Bruce Gordon (42) of Te Anau and Darren Allen (37) of Wairio onboard was overdue.

The last radio report was received from the vessel at 8.15pm on Monday evening.

Today, six vessels and three helicopters are continuing to search an area of approximately 400 square miles around where the semi-submerged K'Cee's hull was located at approximately 6pm yesterday, 16km off Secretary Island.

Three staff from the NZ Police Dive Squad will be arriving into Invercargill later this morning and will be flown to the site of the semi-submerged hull to assess whether it will be possible to dive safely at the site.

The weather conditions are favourable for today's search.

An Air Force Orion carried out a four-hour search of the area overnight, using night lights and radar. It is not planned that the Orion will continue as part of the search today.

Late yesterday police confirmed that wreckage located on the western side of Secretary Island near Rocky Point was also from the K'Cee.

Police staff from Invercargill are assisting local staff as part of the operation and the incident management team includes Te Anau Search and Rescue advisers. The operation team has been well-supported by local helicopter operators and local commercial fishing vessels.

An inflatable life raft and aluminium dingy that were on the vessel have not yet been located and Police remain hopeful of a positive outcome. Mr Gordon and Mr Allen are both very experienced fishermen.

The status of the search will be re-assessed later this afternoon.