Search for crew from yacht wrecked off Tonga 12

Searchers have completed a comprehensive search of the island of Late, west of Vava'u, Tonga, but have found no sign of two men missing since their yacht, Navillus, was wrecked last Thursday night.

The searchers spent the night on the island after being landed yesterday (Tuesday).

The search team will now be debriefed before the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) conducts a review of the search operation in its entirety.

Aerial and on-water searching has failed to locate the two Australian men, both in their sixties, who reported via a satellite phone call to a relative in Victoria, Australia, that they had run aground and their 50ft Bavaria yacht, Navillus, was breaking up.

An emergency locator beacon was activated at the same time, around 10.30pm on Thursday.

The yacht’s wreckage was found the next day but extensive on-water searching following drift modelling undertaken by RCCNZ, as well as an aerial search of over 191 square nautical miles by an RNZAF P3 Orion failed to find the men.  A significant amount of debris/flotsam was found in a trail offshore and to the south of the wrecked yacht's position, which was recovered ashore by rescue vessels.

The Police in Victoria are coordinating contact with the next of kin.

A further update will be issued tomorrow afternoon (Thursday), unless there are further developments.