Story by ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
One of New Zealand’s new Boeing P-8A Poseidons has helped locate a missing Fijian fishing boat.
On October 11, a RNZAF P-8A Poseidon located three Fijian fishermen nine days after they were reported missing aboard their 8.5-metre wooden fishing boat, the Lewa.
The Lewa left the mainland city of Lautoka for a two-week fishing expedition in the western Yasawa group of islands but contact was lost on October 2 when they reported engine issues.
![](https://tasmanaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20230519_nzdf_h1060583_007-edited.jpg)
They carried life jackets and flares but had no locator beacons or communications equipment other than a mobile phone, which was believed to have run out of battery.
Another fishing boat searched for the Lewa for several days but the search was hampered by poor weather.
The Poseidon crew launched its search after Rescue Co-ordination Centre Fiji asked for their help.
Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre manager of operations, Michael Clulow, said his team supplied location data that gave the Poseidon crew the highest probability of finding the fishing crew.
“Our team conducted detailed analysis that included data from nine days of oceanic currents and weather to identify a search area using computer modelling,” he said.
“The search area was large due to the amount of time the fishing boat had been drifting, but we were able to provide the P-8A crew an area to search, which is where the vessel was found.”
![](https://tasmanaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lewa_3__focusfillwyiwljq0iiwiltaumtkildewmdasntuwxq-1.jpg?w=300)
![](https://tasmanaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lewa_2__focusfillwyiwljawiiwimc4wmcisodawldq1mf0-1.jpg?w=800)
![](https://tasmanaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lewa_1___focusfillwyiwljawiiwimc4wmcisodawldq1mf0-1.jpg?w=800)
The Poseidon crew began the radar and visual search early on Wednesday, October 11, and found the fishing boat in the afternoon. They contacted nearby vessels for assistance remained in the vicinity until a rescue vessel was close enough.
RNZAF Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said it was a challenging search over a large area given the nine days since the fishermen were last in contact.
“However, the excellent search data provided by Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre and the manner in which the fishermen had prepared themselves to survive at sea led to this successful outcome.
“The P-8 is proving itself a highly effective and responsive asset to support the people of New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours, and was no doubt an incredibly welcome sight for the people on board the fishing vessel,” he said.