New Zealand’s authorities suspended the search for a 52-year-old Filipino seafarer who fell off the container ship Madinah in the early June, while the vessel was entering Lyttelton Harbour, according to local media.   

A Westpac Rescue helicopter, search boats, and commercial vessels searching for the missing seaman were stood down three and a half hours after the man went overboard. 

There has been no reported sightings of the missing seafarer thus far. 

At around afternoon local time, a search team found a hard hat and gloves, presumably belonging to the missing man. 

Local police have dispatched a team of investigators to Lyttelton Harbour to question the crew of  Madinah, which docked at about 6:30 pm. 

The port authorities halted all the traffic coming in or out of the harbour. 

Madinah is a 2010-built, 4,250 TEU container ship owned by Seaspan Ltd. The vessel sails under the flag of Hong Kong, and is currently serving a 12-month charter with Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL). 

Source: edited from www.worldmaritimenews.com