Vanisi Tulahe (39) the fisherman from Ma’ufanga, who reportedly fell overboard from a local fishing vessel while in Vava’u waters in October, has not been found and remains missing at sea.

Tonga Police in Nuku’alofa today said the FV Kelly had returned to Nuku’alofa with four fishermen on Thursday, October 27. Vanisi was on board this vessel when it left on their fishing trip on Saturday, October 15.

The Police Criminal Investigation unit will to carry out a further enquiry.

The fishermen in their statements to a Police Search and Rescue Team said they last saw Vanisi on the boat on Monday night, October 17 when they went to sleep but when they woke up the next morning he had disappeared.

The locally-owned fishing vessel was located about 56 nautical miles NW of Vava’u when the incident took place.

The FV Kelly had searched in the area where they were at the time but there was no sign of of the missing man, said a police spokesperson.