Search teams resumed the hunt at 8am.
“I can confirm the boat was located mid-to-late morning,” a police spokesperson said, while also confirming they needed more time to disclose the status of the two men who had been aboard.
Police had community members had put out a call to vessels in Pataua Harbour and Ngunguru Bay to report sightings of the boat, described as a runabout.
A community Facebook page said the two people on the boat were male and set off from Pataua.
The post thanked search and rescue teams for their efforts during search efforts overnight.
“The night has been long and profoundly worrying for all the whānau,” it said.
It then confirmed the search resumed this morning and put out a call to all boaties and coasties along the nearby coastline.
“We Urgently Need Your Help,” the post said.
“We are calling upon our entire network.”
“If you have a boat: We urge all our whānau, friends, and friends of friends with a boat to please come and help us search.”
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