A search is underway off the coast of Gisborne after a boat and its fishing party failed to return this afternoon.
It's understood two people are aboard the missing vessel.
A police spokesperson told Newshub on Monday evening that the people on board had not returned from a fishing trip at the expected time.
"At around 4:50pm, police received a report that a party of fishermen from Gisborne had not returned from a fishing trip as expected," the spokesperson said.
"Police are liaising with Maritime New Zealand and Coastguard."
In a statement at about 9:30pm, Michael Clulow, the operations manager of Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ), confirmed a search was underway for the missing boat.
"The alert was initially raised to police just before 4pm, June 24. It wasn't known where the party was when police were notified by a concerned contact of the fishing party," Clulow said.
"No communication has been received from the vessel since it left shore this morning.
"Coastguard Gisborne, a helicopter and vessels of opportunity have and were being used in the search."
He said the conditions have been deteriorating, making the search "challenging".
"We are doing everything we can to locate the missing vessel."
He said RCCNZ have requested assistance from the New Zealand Defence Force and a P8 Poseidon would undertake a radar search tonight. Additional local resources are on standby should the vessel be located, he added.
A spokesperson for Coastguard confirmed to Newshub that Gisborne volunteers were on the Lion Foundation Rescue search vessel and supporting Maritime New Zealand, but couldn't share any further details.
'Wasn't comfortable out there'
Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club president Roger Faber told Newshub that three boats had been out fishing on Monday, but one failed to return.
The missing boat, which was carrying two people, left Gisborne Harbour at about 7:30am, he said.
Faber, who had been on one of the other boats, described the missing vessel as a 6m "aluminium runabout".
"Forecast was for about five knots, but the wind just picked up all morning - it ended up about 20 knots nor'east on a 4m swell," he told Newshub.
Faber's boat and the other vessel turned back at about 11am, he said, as it "wasn’t comfortable out there".
"We tried calling the third boat but they weren't answering. We hoped they'd decided to turn back earlier than us and had already returned," he said.
"It wasn't until we got back to the boat ramp that we realised they hadn't, because their boat trailer was still there. We became concerned."
Faber contacted the Coastguard and a helicopter was dispatched, which searched for about an hour, he said.
He said he presumes the search will soon be called off.
"I presume the search has been called off for the night," he said. "The weather there now out at sea is still pretty rough."
