Four people have been confirmed dead after a vessel got into trouble and sunk off North Cape at the top of the North Island.
1News understands the vessel was charter boat Enchanter from Mangonui which had been on the water fishing for several days.
An emergency position-indicating radio beacon was activated by the vessel with 10 people on board around 8pm on Sunday.
At approximately 2.30am it was confirmed the vessel had sunk, Maritime New Zealand says.
Police said this morning two bodies were located in the water and were recovered by helicopter.
A third body was recovered by a vessel assisting with the water search.
This afternoon, a fourth body was found by a vessel. One other person remains unaccounted for.
"The body has been retrieved this afternoon by a vessel supporting the search operation," police said of the fourth body found.
"Search efforts, led by the Rescue Coordination Centre at Maritime NZ, are ongoing to locate a fifth person who remains unaccounted for."
Five people have been rescued in what Maritime NZ describe as a "significant operation".
Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust choppers and other emergency service vehicles involved in North Cape rescue (Source: Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.)
They were taken to Kaitaia Hospital, all in a stable condition and have since been discharged.
1News understands at least one of those on board was from Cambridge.
The rescue remains active, with helicopters searching from the air and vessels supporting the search as well.
Police Search and Rescue are assisting with a land search based at Te Pua.
Due to poor weather conditions it wasn't until 11.30pm on Sunday that the first helicopter was able to rescue people from the water.
Search and Rescue coordinator Nick Burt told 1News: "Our first initial task was to get a helicopter out there to investigate what was going on.
"The weather conditions really hampered getting any search assets out there so that was a bit of a struggle.
"The weather has now abated though and we've got sufficient surface assets and aircraft."
An NZ Defence Force Orion aircraft was deployed to the search early on Monday morning. It's since returned to Ohakea air base. A second Orion is departing Auckland today to help with the search.
Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Taupo is also en route to the search area and is expected there around midday.
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