Rescue authorities searching for missing crew of a Korean fishing boat which sank in the Southern Ocean today have recovered three bodies with three more still unaccounted for.
Initial reports said 44 crew members had been rescued from liferafts after the 82-metre long Oyang 70 sank about 800km south east of Dunedin and seven were missing.
However, the National Rescue Co ordination Centre in Wellington said the boat which rescued the crew had updated its figures and said only six were missing.
An Air Force Orion was due in the area about 10am and seven boats were searching for the missing men in cold and foggy conditions. Sea conditions were not bad and a 12 knot wind was blowing but authorities fear if the missing are not in liferafts their chances of survival are not good.
The 1500-tonne Oyang 70 has been fishing around New Zealand for at least 20 years.
It has a foreign crew and no New Zealanders were thought to be on board. Mike Sullivan, the lawyer acting for Southern Storm Fishing, which operates the Oyang 70, said it was fully surveyed but it was not known how many liferafts it had on board.
He said the focus was on finding the missing crew members.
"No one knows anything other than the vessel has sunk. We don't know the cause and at the moment the emphasis is on rescuing the crew."
He said the ship was in good condition.
Ross Henderson, from the National Rescue Co ordination Centre in Wellington, said the Orion would be the only aircraft searching because of the position of the search area.
He said at 800 kilometres off the coast it was too far for helicopters.
NZPA