13 May 2011

Kiribati locals urged to report sightings of six missing

8:20 am on 13 May 2011

Kiribati Search and Rescue are urging people to report any sightings of six young people who have been missing since last Friday.

The group are thought to have drifted out to sea after setting out on a canoe, towing a smaller dinghy to collect palm leaves.

A US Coast Guard Hercules aircraft will begin searching again today.

Kiribati Search and Rescue Coordinator Captain Omirete Tadureka says he's received no information they've made any sightings.

But he says in a previous case, people were found to have survived after a longer period with no word

"This has happened in the past when one fishing boat is taking our nationals, our missing nationals with them, and then they just reported back one month later. So we have raised our alert to the fishing boats about the same incident and if they have any findings they must report that."