21 Jun 2012

Search for missing Australians near Tonga to be reviewed

10:21 am on 21 June 2012

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre in New Zealand will decide today whether to continue the search for two Australian men who have been missing for a week since their yacht was wrecked near Tonga.

Ian Thompson and Erwin Claus, who are both in their sixties, were sailing back from the Caribbean when their boat struck rocks last Thursday.

An extensive ocean search failed to find the men, but debris from their yacht was found on Friday off Late Island.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre announced yesterday that it was reviewing the operation after a comprehensive two day search of the island found no trace of the men.