Missing Kiribati fishermen found safe by New Zealand air force

Three fishermen from the tiny Pacific nation of Kiribati have been found alive more than a week after they disappeared at sea, the New Zealand Defence Force said Wednesday.

The crew of a New Zealand air force P-3K2 Orion surveillance aircraft spotted the men waving from their 5-meter wooden fishing boat as it drifted about 550 kilometers west of Tarawa, capital and main atoll of Kiribati.

The men, aged from 34 to 61, appeared to be in good health, Air Commodore Darryn Webb said in a statement.

They were found about an hour after the Orion began its second day of searching Wednesday.

The Orion would drop the men emergency supplies of food and water and a radio and was contacting ships in the area asking them to pick the fishermen up.

"I am pleased that the fishermen were found safe and well and will now be able to return to their families," said Webb.

The Orion left New Zealand on Tuesday to search for the fishermen, who were last seen leaving Tarawa on Nov. 1.

The original search area was about 3,500 kilometers north of New Zealand and covered more than 33,000 square kilometers.

Following an unsuccessful aerial search on Tuesday, the search area was expanded to 55,000 square kilometers.

Fiji's Rescue Coordination Center, which is responsible for the search area, requested NZDF assistance after a two-day aerial search by Kiribati authorities was unsuccessful.

The Kiribati search ship Nakoraoi also helped in the search. Endit