Dozens of coastguard volunteers continue to assist police in the search for a man who disappeared while attempting to cross the Cook Strait on a jetski earlier this week.
The man left the Tasman District in the morning bound for Plimmerton, north of Wellington, but did not arrive as expected.
Police and search and rescue teams have been conducting a water search with the assistance of Coastguard and the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ.
The New Zealand Defence Force had also joined the effort.
“A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was involved in the search this morning and early this afternoon,” a spokesperson confirmed.
“Crew on an RNZAF NH90 helicopter will also be involved this afternoon searching for the missing person.”
Coastguard had searched Cook Strait, Marlborough Sounds and the Porirua Coast for the man in the past few days.
A jetski was located near Cook Rock in Cook Strait on Monday night and was believed to belong to the missing man, police said.
Cook Rock is 5.3km north-east of Cape Koamaru in Marlborough and 5.5km north-north-west of The Brothers.
Coastguard Marlborough president David St John said volunteers also assisted the search on Monday and Tuesday.
He said Marlborough volunteers would be joined by Havelock Coastguard to continue the search on Waitangi Day.
“It’s a big search effort for the team, and tomorrow we have volunteers who are taking days off work – it’s just what we need to do.”
