A cruise ship passenger has been reported missing after going overboard in the Hawke's Bay region.
The man was on the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship which is where a mayday call came from, a Maritime New Zealand spokesperson told 1 NEWS.
The cruise ship is located roughly six nautical miles southwest of the Mahia Peninsula and remains in the vicinity of the incident.
Airforce NH90 from RNZAF Base Ohakea is heading to the scene now to help the search.
There were two helicopters and three boats searching, but both helicopters have returned to their respective bases.
"All helicopters have night vision and heat-seeking equipment, but the NH90 is more sophisticated," said a Maritime New Zealand spokesperson.
One yacht has been released from the search. The container ship is now on-site, assisting the search with search lights.
Maritime New Zealand said current sea conditions in the area are fairly good for the search.
One helicopter from Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust began the search around 8pm.
Norwegian Jewel is reviewing CCTV footage to determine what happened.
The Rescue Coordination Centre was notified around 7pm.
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