Search called off

Search for fishermen missing near Fiji called off

Three crew members were accounted for when they were picked up by a Fijian Navy patrol shortly after the tuna longliner FV Tiro II sank on 21 May.

They were questioned and then released by police earlier this week.

A spokesperson for the Fiji Navy said the search covered an area of almost 8000 square kilometres.

The decision to suspend the operations was not taken lightly.

Earlier Captain Humphrey Tawake told Fiji media the alleged murder took place following a "heated argument" between two Fijian crew members.

     

Search for American Samoan teens called off

It had been extended to midnight beyond the 72 hour search period which finished at 2pm yesterday.

The local senator Fai'ivae Iuli Alex Godinet said a big problem with the search had been the length of time getting the patrol boat to Utumea from its base at Fagatogo.

He said if there had been a boat based at nearby Leone they would have found the cousins well before the search period was up.

Fai'ivae said it may not have saved their lives but it would have given closure to the families.