Searchers looking for two West Coast people and a ship thought to have capsized off the coast of Fiordland have found a debris trail but no sign of the missing pair.
Search-and-rescue teams in the Southern Lakes helicopter found the debris from the missing ship Governor, which was carrying West Coasters Kevin Cosgrove, 60, and Nirvana Drew Reynolds, 16, in the tide line about 36 kilometres southwest of Yates Point, 10km north of the north entrance to Milford Sound.
Police said they were working through the debris, which included fish bins and pieces of wood, to see if it was connected to the Governor.
The searchers had found a fuel slick 3km north of Milford Sound on Saturday and an inflated life raft 12km away with no one on board.
Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley of Western Southland police said it was thought the vessel might have come to grief after snagging a net near Yates Point.
Mr Cosgrove hails from Dobson, 10km east of Greymouth, and Mr Reynolds from Blackball, 25km northeast of Greymouth.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the missing men at this tragic time," Snr Sgt Fairley said.
The Search and Rescue management team was considering using the police dive squad to search for the wreckage, but it may be 40m below the surface of the water and they will consider depth, tidal movements and the weather.
Searchers in a fixed-wing plane couldn't find anything of significance while searching from Poison Bay to Yates Point and have headed back to Invercargill.
Snr Sgt Fairley said the search would be scaled down on Monday.
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