The Berge Rishiri ship is operated by the Berge Bulk fleet carriers. Photo / Supplied
A man is presumed to have gone overboard from a bulk carrier vessel off the Otago coast.
The ship, Berge Rishiri, is operated by Berge Bulk fleet carriers.
The person, a Chinese national, was last seen at 8am on Saturday morning when he finished his shift on the ship, a Maritime NZ spokesperson said in a statement today.
“The person failed to report for duty at 4pm, and Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) was advised.”
The spokesperson said they “presume” the man had fallen overboard.
They also said that the search for the man is on hold as a thorough review is undertaken to assess the “likely success” of his rescue given the amount of time he has been missing.
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“A cold-water survivability expert engaged by RCCNZ believes there is little chance the person would have survived,” the spokesperson explained.
“All search assets have now been stood down pending the search review and assessment.”
According to South Port’s shipping schedule, the ship was scheduled to leave Bluff at 1am on Saturday.