A police search is underway for three crew members who fled a fishing vessel in Bluff, which pulled into Southland Port on Monday with a dead crewman on board.
Detective Sergeant Dave Kennelly said the crew member died over a week ago, on November 20. He died from injuries obtained during an incident on board.
However, the vessel only arrived at Port in Bluff around 2pm yesterday.
The man was a Chinese national.
Det Sgt Kennelly told Fairfax police were looking for three missing crewman who absconded off the vessel.
"This incident occurred in the Southern ocean, within international waters, but New Zealand is the closest country so we have the obligation to investigate", Kennelly said.
"Police have an obligation to the Coroner to investigate all deaths that occur within the Coroner's jurisdiction."
He said it wasn't a criminal investigation.
"This has been reported to police. We are working with the local port authority to locate the individuals, who are believed to still be within the port," he said.
Det Sgt Kennelly confirmed in a statement to the Otago Daily Times that police were told the three foreign nationals left the vessel at 2pm on Monday.
"We are working with the local port authority to locate the individuals," he said.
Fairfax reported five people were swept overboard whilst chipping ice off a funnel in the Southern Ocean.
Police said the vessel left the port around 3pm this afternoon.
