Search mission on hold for fishermen swept off rocks near Slope Point, near Catlins, Southland

Sunday, 27 January 2019

A search and rescue mission for two fishermen who were swept off rocks in Southland has been called off for the evening.

Witnesses raised the alarm about 4.20pm after the men were swept off rocks near Slope Point Rd. Slope Point is the southernmost point of the South Island.

Two helicopters from Queenstown and Dunedin, rescue swimmers, Bluff Coastguard, Bluff Harbour pilot vessel the Takitimu and Catlins water rescue teams, along with three Southern region LandSAR groups were searching the coastline, a police statement said.

The helicopters were stood down early in the evening but land and water-based search crews continued in a limited capacity for several hours more.

The search is expected to resume about 8.30am on Monday.

Heavy rain was expected to lash the area until midnight and 2m swells hampered search efforts.

Slope Point is accessed via a privately maintained walk across farmland. Parts of the coastline are very rugged and inaccessible on foot.

It is just south of the small settlements of Waikawa and Haldane, near the southwestern edge of the Catlins and Toetoes Bay and 71km east of Invercargill.