Almost twenty-four hours after a yacht collided with a towline between a barge and a tug north of Auckland, New Zealand, there is still no word on the fate of one of the four people aboard the yacht.

A short time ago, Maritime Safety Authority spokesperson Helen Mojel said she was not able to release any details other than it appeared the yacht had come between the barge and the tug and “got caught in the towline somehow”.

Police have not released the names of people involved in the accident, or the names of the two vessels.

Senior Sergeant Martin Paget of Auckland Police search and rescue said two women and a man were rescued by the tug, but a man was still missing.

The collision happened about 5am local time at Cape Rodney. The three survivors from the yacht had been taken to nearby Sandspit.

Mr Paget said this morning that the navy had pinpointed the location of the sunken vessel.

“We were very fortunate to have the Navy ship Resolution, and we are currently getting navy divers to come to the area,” he said at the time.

The yacht, which was apparently returning to New Zealand from overseas, had sunk in deep water, Mr Paget said.

The accident highlights the importance of clearly displaying the appropriate day shapes or lights, and the need for sailors to understand and interpret these accurately.

Source: New Zealand Herald