A dog is still missing after a yacht capsized off Whananaki in Northland, where the skipper was safely rescued yesterday afternoon.

Police were alerted around 5:10pm near Elizabeth Reef. While the man onboard made it ashore and was checked by ambulance staff, a dog believed to have been on the yacht has not been found. Social media reports say the dog, a curly-coated retriever named Rimu, was wearing an orange life jacket.

The yacht overturned in rough, windy conditions and later washed up upside down at Sandy Bay. Coastguard confirmed it was not required to launch, as a nearby boat assisted with the rescue.

Locals have since been searching by drone and on foot along the coastline and beaches, but the dog has not yet been located.

See more info here with RNZ