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| Image sourced from Facebook via TVNZ |
The mother of one of the three New Zealand men missing in Indonesia says local fishermen have reported seeing the trio.
Cheryl Gavin-Young, mother of Ben Gavin-Young, said yesterday she was getting worried for their safety but she told ONE News this morning that she has heard their boat has been seen and all three are safe.
The families are awaiting for official confirmation but Gavin-Young said they are very relieved.
She said Ben, David Machin and Ryan Irissarri, all from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, had not made contact since October 25. She said the men are now heading inland to renew their visas.
The trio were sailing a boat, called the Fat Cat, towards the Mentawai Islands when the tsunami struck.
Gavin-Young said Ben would normally try to contact the family to say he was safe after a natural disaster, "especially with his background in the army".
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the yacht typically travels two to three weeks without making contact with anyone because it has limited communications equipment.
The group's last email indicated they were not in the region were the tsunami hit.
The families contacted the New Zealand embassy in Jakarta on October 27, due to concerns they had not received any new information.
The Indonesian earthquake and tsunami has claimed the lives of at least 431 people.
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