The Air Force has located a boat that had been missing in the Pacific Ocean for 16 days.

An Orion found the boat in the seas off Tarawa, an island of the Kiribati group. Three teenagers, three females and one male, were all well but drifting in their vessel after the outboard motor stopped because of mechanical problems.

Wing Commander Nick Olney says New Zealand got a search and rescue call on Thursday night and the Orion went out yesterday morning and found the boat within an hour. The four relieved teenagers were waving their arms frantically.

They were picked up about 10.30pm yesterday by a patrol boat from Tarawa, which towed their vessel to the island.