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Search for lost fishermen called off [1]

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Tuesday, August 5, 2014 - 17:09.  Updated on Friday, August 8, 2014 - 18:11.

The search and rescue operation for three fishermen from Nomuka who have been missing since 30 July has been called off.

The search started on 30 July by local boats on areas near Nomuka, but nothing was found.

On Sunday, August 3 the search and rescue operation requested assistance from the Rescue Coordination Centre in Suva.

A New Zealand Orion P-3 aircraft was then dispatched and carried out an aerial search for five-hours with no sighting before returning to New Zealand. A navy vessel of the Tongan HMAF with members of the police tactical response team had also been searching at sea since Friday, August 1 and found nothing.

Police Commissioner Grant O'Fee said families of the missing had been informed on the outcome of the search and rescue operation.

Police today identified the men as 'Elone Taulafo the father, his son son Sione Filipe Taulafo and son-in-law Sofele Folau, who left Nomuka in Ha'apai on a fishing trip early in the morning of 30 July.

missing fishermen [2]
Nomuka [3]
search and rescue operation [4]
Police and Crime [5]
Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2014/08/05/search-lost-fishermen-called

Links
[1] https://matangitonga.to/2014/08/05/search-lost-fishermen-called [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/missing-fishermen?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/nomuka?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/search-and-rescue-operation?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/topic/police-and-crime?page=1