At least 3 dead after shipwreck off New Zealand

Three people died and two more are missing after a boat with 10 people on board capsized in a storm off the coast of New Zealand, police said Monday. Five people were rescued and search efforts continue.

The vessel got into trouble and issued a distress signal Sunday night off the North Cape on the north coast, triggering a full-scale search and rescue operation.

A helicopter recovered two bodies that had been located in the water on Monday morning, according to a police statement. A third body was recovered by a search boat, police said.

“Search efforts by air, land and water continue as part of the attempts to locate the two people who are still missing,” is added in the statement.

The five rescued people were admitted to Kaitaia Hospital in stable condition.

Nick Burt, a spokesman for Maritime NZ, which is leading the search, said an emergency beacon was activated at 8pm local time. A helicopter was the first search and rescue team to arrive at the scene at 11:40 p.m., Burt told the NZME communication company.

Burt said he didn’t know if the captain had been rescued, but police were already interviewing survivors.