By Tupou Vaipulu

A land and sea search is underway in Ha'apai for a 62-year-old man who was reported missing at sea, after leaving Faleloa, Ha'apai in a 25ft boat on Saturday, 6 April.

Afuhia Fehoko from Fakakakai was reported missing by his family to Tonga Police on Sunday, 7 April after he did not return home from a trip to Faleloa on Saturday.

According to the missing person's son, who contacted Matangi Tonga today, Afuhia left Fakakakai between 10-11:00am on Saturday, for Faleloa to drop off an engineer.

"When he didn't come home that day, I assumed that he slept at Faleloa or in his boat," he said. However, on Sunday morning, the son checked repeatedly but saw no sign of his father or his boat.

"He was in charge of Sunday service at church that morning, that's why I kept checking and I checked about four times."

The son then contacted Faleloa's town officer to find out that his father had left the island on Saturday around 3-4:00pm.

"We immediately reported it to the police," he said.

The missing person was last seen wearing a colorful, striped shirt and long grey pants. His was on a white, 25ft long boat.

Tonga Police said that they started working on the case as soon as they recieved the report on Sunday.

Today, 9 April, the search is still on-going. An aerial maritime search is being conducted by an RNZAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, which arrived from New Zealand this morning to aid with the search.

Police are appealing the public to be wary when going out at sea at this time.