Source: New Zealand Defence Force8 August 2026A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon crew has found six people overdue in a small boat in Fijian waters, leading to their successful rescue in rough seas. The Poseidon crew had been about to carry out a fishery patrol in Fiji when the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Fiji requested help in the search for the boat. The initial search was carried out by local vessels before a chartered local aircraft and the RNZAF joined efforts on Friday. The Poseidon crew carried out a radar and visual search of the area before, in fading light, they found the vessel at 5.30pm, 14.6 nautical miles southwest of Vanuavatu. “We quickly re-planned and headed out to the search area.