Missing fisherman found alive after week adrift at sea in 4m dinghy
A fisherman has been found alive after a week drifting alone at sea in a small boat off the Cook Islands.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon crew found the fisherman today during a search and rescue operation in the northern Cooks.
The man was spotted by RNZAF crew this morning sitting in his 4m aluminium skiff.
Seated in the boat wearing just a blue T-shirt, black shorts and a sun visor, he waved his hands, then an oar at the aircraft.
Nearby fishing vessels indicated to the plane’s crew they were able to pick the man up.
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said the fisherman had set off from Pukapuka Island, about 1140km northwest of Rarotonga, for a day’s fishing on Thursday, June 11, but failed to return.
Pukapuka is one of the most remote islands in the Cook Islands. Photo / Google Maps
Pukapuka is one of the most remote islands in the Cook Islands and it was believed the man had minimal safety or survival equipment.
According to the NZDF, the fisherman was reported as missing to local police the following day, and New Zealand’s Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre requested the RNZAF help in the search earlier this week.
The P-8A and crew started the search yesterday.
On Thursday, the Cook Island News reported search and rescue teams were looking for 42-year-old Pone Apiuta in the same area.
It has not been confirmed it is the same man, but many of the details are the same.
Nearby vessels indicated they could retrieve him, bringing the search effort close to a successful end. Photo / NZDF
“Family members and the Pukapuka community wait for news of a 42-year-old fisherman who went missing after heading out to sea alone,” the article read.
The father of one was last seen around 5pm on June 11, fishing off the northwest side of Pukapuka in a 4m aluminium boat.
Pukapuka police were alerted about 1.30am on Friday after the fisherman failed to return home, the Cook Island News reported.
According to the newspaper, concern was raised over delays in the initial response, further complicated by rough seas and strong winds.
The paper described Apiuta as a “kind person who had a great love for fishing”.
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