At 01.30am on Tuesday morning Coast Guard Whangamata was advised of a small tinny with two men and a young boy on board which had overturned on the Bowentown bar late Monday evening. The young boy and his father made it back to the beach. The other adult was missing. Only the young boy was wearing a life jacket. G J Gardner Ranger joined the search at 05:45 that morning. Search assets included Westpac helicopter, a fixed wing aircraft, the NZ Navy Warship Taupo, as well as shore based assets all involved in searching for the missing person.
The search proved unsuccessful on the Tuesday.
The photo - taken from Gardner Ranger - show Avoco Rescue (Waihi Beach) and the HMNZS Taupo. Mt Maunganui in the background.
