RNZAF Poseidon crew locates six people overdue in Fijian waters

A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon crew successfully located six people overdue in a small boat in Fijian waters. The group had departed Namuka Island for Fulaga in the Lau Group on a Thursday morning but failed to reach their destination.

While preparing for a scheduled fishery patrol, the Poseidon crew was re-tasked by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Fiji to join local search efforts. After a six-hour radar and visual search in challenging conditions involving strong winds and 3.5-meter swells, the crew spotted the vessel at 5:30 p.m., approximately 14.6 nautical miles southwest of Vanuavatu.

The crew alerted the Republic of Fiji Navy Ship Savenaca, which arrived at the scene after 8:00 p.m. to conduct the rescue in rough seas. The six survivors were transported to Suva for medical assessment before being reunited with their families.