Search for trawler called off

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 8

Search for trawler called off

PAi Wellington Search and rescue personnel last night called off their search off the Wairarapa coast for a missing Napier trawler after another fishing crew reported sighting a similar vessel further south on Saturday morning. The trawler Deep Sea II had been treated as missing and was searched for by an Air Force Friendship, from Wigram Air Base, an Orion, and a civilian helicopter where it was last seen off Castlepoint, a fishing and holiday village 72km northeast of Masterton. Searchers called off their efforts at 8.05 p.m. after crew members of

the Resolution 11, another big trawler, reported sighting a similar vessel to the missing boat to have been heading into Palliser Bay at 5 a.m. on Saturday. A spokesman for search officials, Flying Officer Peter Northcote, said checks had eliminated all other similar boats from the area, and the information tallied with the expected fishing by the Deep Sea II if it lost radio contact. Earlier in the day, Mrs Diane Kristensen, of Napier, wife of the missing boat’s skipper, said the Deep Sea II had been plagued with radio trouble since a $1 million refit in August.

This could explain its apparent disappearance, she said. As regularly as every second trip, the radio failed completely. It had been repaired but continued to fail.

On board the Deep Sea II are Mrs Kristensen’s husband, Sven, aged 38, Bede Parker and a man identified as “Stu” who is believed to have joined just before the trawler pulled out of Napier for Cape Palliser last Thursday.

The Deep Sea 11, owne,d by an Awatoto company, Townsend and Paul, was expected to be at sea for about 10 days. It was originally thought not to have been seen since its

last radio contact about 11.30 p.m. on Thursday. Its radio silence was reported to marine authorities by the Napier Fishermen’s Radio service. Mr Kristensen has had his skipper’s ticket for about 19 years and has been fishing aboard Deep Sea II since the vessel’s refit.

Townsend and Paul’s manager, Mr Phil Davies, would not comment on the boat’s disappearance,

except to confirm that the 21m steel-hulled trawler belonged to the company.

Marine search and rescue authorities are expected to make a final decision on the search this morning.