WELLINGTON, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Royal New Zealand Air Force helped locate a Norwegian sailor in trouble in the Pacific Ocean, 300 km off the coast of New Zealand on Tuesday.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft took off from New Zealand's Auckland at 5:00 a.m. to help locate the sailor and his 13m vessel SV Albatross, following a request from the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand for help, Air Commodore Tim Walshe said.

Walshe said the man and his boat were found shortly after the Orion reached the search area about 9:00 a.m.

The sailor was found safe but would like to evacuate from his sailboat, which has suffered a mechanical failure.

A nearby cargo ship, 176 km south-southeast of the stricken vessel, was contacted to help rescue the sailor.

The search in the South Pacific came as the New Zealand defence force continued to help search for a missing tramper in the Tararua Range, North Island.

A 49-year-old man failed to return from a five-day tramping trip on last Saturday afternoon, and the search mission involved both local police and New Zealand Defence force, said the New Zealand Police.