It's been over a week now since a vessel went missing with 3 persons between the waters of Nissan Island and Buka last Saturday in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and sadly all progress to allocate them was not successful.
The vessel was on a route departing Nissan Island and was heading for Buka but never arrived.
ABG Directorate of Disaster and Emergency stated that the sea-based search operations are currently restricted and will not be possible until weather conditions improve.
In the meantime, the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) have issued warnings regarding strong winds across the Bougainville region; thus, this has caused search operations to be on hold.
The ABG Directorate of Disaster further releases the following information and asks that the public reports any sightings of a floater dinghy dinghy with a yellow top powered by a 60HP Yamaha engine. The boat features one mast flying an AROB flag with a red scarf (bandana) on top and it is equipped with a red light that automatically activates at night (6:00 PM).
The vessel was carrying one empty drum, one bag of cacao, two bags of copra in onion bags, a blue bingo, and two tanks (one spray-painted with blue dots).
The three persons on Board are Mitchell Tokiapron (Skipper) he was wearing army-coloured sports shorts and an army camouflage jacket, Darrell (Crew) he was wearing a black cut t-shirt, black cargo shorts, and an army camouflage jacket and Horen Kapiatu (Passenger) who was wearing a black t-shirt and cargo shorts, with hair tied in a band.
The MRCC and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) continue to broadcast information to all vessels operating in New Ireland waters. While this information remains current, there have been no confirmed sightings of the vessel to date.
The Directorate of Disaster Emergency has extended its alert network to ensure maximum coverage of the maritime zones.
Current efforts include:
• New Ireland and Tanir LLG: The New Ireland Provincial Disaster Office and Tanir (Tanga/Anir) LLG are actively monitoring their maritime zones.
• Atolls and Local Coordination: Communication remains open with Nissan-Pinapel and Nuguria (Bougainville Atolls) to monitor any sightings from their respective locations.
The Directorate of Disaster Emergency strongly reminds all small-craft operators to avoid unnecessary sea travel between Nissan, Buka, and surrounding waters due to the current adverse weather conditions. Operators must closely monitor official weather advisories before considering any travel.
The ABG continues to extend its thoughts and prayers to the families of those on board.
"We urge the public to refrain from circulating unverified information on social media and to rely only on official updates."
