Search teams have found what is believed to be the boat of a man who went missing off the Wairarapa coast.
The 72-year-old from Martinborough had gone out in a small inflatable boat at 11am on Thursday to set a crayfish pot in Sandy Bay.
The man was wearing a wetsuit and a lifejacket and was reported missing at 8.20pm.
The Rescue Co-ordination Centre says the boat was found on Friday afternoon by an Air Force Orion crew, but the man was not on it.
It says the the man's dog, which he took with him on the boat, was found in the morning, along with his vehicle and trailer.
Mission coordinator Kevin Banaghan says due to heavy wind, it is likely that the boat capsized and threw the man overboard.
Mr Banaghan says aerial and ground searches will resume on Saturday morning. The police dive squad will also look for him.
