Search teams looking for two fishermen missing after their boat sank in Doubtful Sound have found the remains of a life raft and further debris from the boat.
"Unfortunately, after finding the items from the K'Cee, we may now be looking at a less hopeful scenario," Southland area commander Inspector Lane Todd said this afternoon.
"Tragically, as time goes on the outcome is looking less positive and we would have hoped for a better outcome at this stage."
The skipper of the K-Cee, Bruce Robert Gordon, 42, and crew member Darren James Allen, 37, have not been heard from since Monday morning.
The search started at 10am yesterday and has continued through the day. The search team has included SAR and Police personnel, commercial fishing vessels, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft as well as the Air Force Orion.
Search teams today re-located the semi-submerged hull of K'Cee, which had drifted closer to Secretary Island.
They also found two wooden floorboards from an inflatable dinghy about 10km north of Secretary Island, and a bladder which is consistent with those found in inflatable life rafts like the one K'Cee carried.
The boat's emergency locator beacon was found on the beach near the boat's hull, and it had not been activated.
The wreckage of the hull has been towed to Neck Cove on Secretary Island, where the police dive squad is assessing opportunities to dive around the wreckage.
The Gordon and Allen families acknowledged the search efforts and said they remained hopeful.
"We are still all hoping for a miracle and appreciate all the support and kind thoughts we have received. We would ask for and appreciate privacy at this time.''
The search team has included SAR and Police personnel, commercial fishing vessels, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft as well as the Airforce Orion.
The grid search has continued this afternoon with helicopters tasked to undertake a close shoreline search and also look at areas that have not already been covered.
