Six people have been missing since Friday, August 7, in southern Vanuatu. They had left Erromango Island in a small boat to reach Tanna, where they were to participate in a traditional ceremony. Their boat never arrived at its destination, and no contact has been established with its occupants.
Three "banana boats" had left Dillons Bay before stopping at Bongil to pick up passengers and supplies. Two boats arrived at Lenami Bay, on the island of Tanna, around 17:30 p.m. The third, carrying the six missing people, was initially ahead of the others before heading in a different direction towards the northwest of Tanna.
A vast maritime area explored
Alerted around 22 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, by the port of Lenakel, the New Caledonia Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center took over the coordination of the search in cooperation with the Vanuatu authorities. A Gardian aircraft from the French Navy and a Casa aircraft from the French Air Force flew over a vast maritime area on Sunday. The operations were unsuccessful, but a new air mission is being planned.
The search is complicated by poor weather conditions and the absence of any signal from the vessel for more than 24 hours at the time the alert was raised. Météo-France has modeled its likely drift based on its characteristics and last estimated position. Vanuatu police are also continuing their investigations on land and are asking vessels in the southern part of the archipelago to report any boats or objects that may be related to the six missing people.
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