Aircraft sent up to search for Tathra boat

Following a "three-hour intensive search" Tracy Bolt, owner of Merimbula Air Service, said the boat had not been found.

Bermagui Marine Rescue has been issuing a navigational hazard warning to boaters in the area over marine radio.

Earlier

A twin-engined aircraft from Merimbula Air Services is searching for the boat that overturned on Tuesday, February 21 off the coast of Tathra.

Four people were winched from the ocean by two helicopters after the vessel overturned 14km off Goalen Head near Tathra around 12pm when an EPIRB was activated and emergency services including Marine Rescue NSW crews from Bermagui and Merimbula responded.

With the four people on board rescued, attention has turned to the boat itself, which could be a hazard in the ocean.

Tracy Bolt, owner of Merimbula Air Services said the company was contacted by national marine surveyors on Wednesday, February 22 to try and locate the boat.

By 1.20pm - within two hours of contact by the surveyors - Ms Bolt had pilot Matthew Allen and experienced spotter Andy Campbell in the air in a twin-engined Partenavia looking for the boat.

READ ALSO:

"It's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack; it's a white hull in a sea of white caps," Ms Bolt said.

"They're doing a grid search pattern 10 miles north and 10 miles south and 20 miles out to sea from the last known sighting which was 14 miles off Tathra," she said.

But Ms Bolt said while it had been heading north, currents and winds had changed, making the search difficult.

Ms Bolt said the Partenavia was highly suited to the task as it could fly low and slow for the best chance of spotting the boat, an Aus Master Marine alloy boat with twin 200hp outboard motors.

However the search will limited to about three hours as Ms Bolt said she had to consider pilot fatigue.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Bookmark www.begadistrictnews.com.au

Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular headlines newsletters

Follow us on Twitter: @Bega_News

Follow us on Instagram: @begadistrictnews