Wife of missing Canterbury fisherman still looking for answers more than a month later

  • 08/02/2023

The wife of a Timaru fisherman who went missing over a month ago is still looking for answers.

Lionati Fotofili, 44, went missing in the Ōpihi River mouth on December 30 after he failed to return home from a fishing trip.

LandSAR volunteers, the south Canterbury Coastguard, South Canterbury Helicopters and Police Search and Rescue staff launched a search for Fotofili but a few days later it was scaled back. 

Several items linked to Fotofili have been found but over one month later there has been no sign of him. 

His wife Suliana Fotofili hasn't given up hope. She told Melissa Chan-Green on AM she has her own small search crew continuing to look for her husband.

"We have been doing the best that we can to find my husband but the sad part is that we don't have enough resources with us," Suliana said.

She said they are hoping they will someday be able to further their search to more parts of the river and the shoreline.

A Givealittle page has been set up to support the family. 

Watch the video above.