Search continues for missing pair off South Otago coast

77-year-old Whetuki Kopua and 60-year-old Matekino Burling, both of Owaka, have been missing for over 24 hours.

They were fishing in their silver 5.2 metre pontoon style Kiwikraft boat, named KRYSTELLA, and left the Catlins area around 8.30am yesterday morning, 16 September 2015.

There have been coastal searches of beaches, aerial searches with helicopters and an aeroplane, plus boats have been on the water all day looking for the missing persons.

The search will continue on Thursday and Friday.

A missing boat is hauled in at Nugget Point in Catlins.

“Most likely they would have hung around the boat I’d imagine if it had capsized and hung on for as long as they could”, said Search and Rescue member Carey Hancox.

Divers are searching the area but “nothing further has been located”.

The friends were always safe fishers and Mr Kopua had a “phenomenal” knowledge of the Catlins coastline, Snr Const Hewitson said.

Fog hampered the search efforts overnight but a large-scale search was launched again this morning.

A vehicle and boat trailer believed to belong to the missing couple are still at the launch site.

“We knew his intentions were to head our past the bar at Owaka and head South to his two favourite fishing spots”, said Mr Hewitson.

In 2003, Mr Kopua and Grahame Browne were rescued after battling cold seas for more than 45 minutes after being flipped into the water when a rogue wave hit their boat as they crossed the sand bar at Surat Bay.

Land search and rescue teams searched from Long Point to Wangoloa yesterday and today searchers would re-search areas searched yesterday.