Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The New Zealand Defense Force has rescued two men in the middle of the ocean south of Tonga.

The men had left Tongatapu 10 days prior and were declared missing shortly after departure, discovered by an Air Force P-8A Poseidon en route to the South-West Pacific, NZDF said.

Once found, NZDF said they were brought on board the HMNZS Canterbury, and have since returned to Tonga.

Commodore Shane Arndell told RNZ Pacific that the crew were in a fortunate position to help the two men.

"We have a very large search and rescue responsibility area, so they're monitoring all the distress calls that come out," he said.

"The sensors that the aircraft has on board enables it to be pretty thorough, and the chances of being found are pretty good with what the aircraft has got."

Arndell said the men, who were fisherman in the 20s-30s, were tired and hungry, but deemed to be in a good state after a medical check and a feed.

"I suspect they'd been at sea for a few days, but other than that they look like they're fit and strong, and just have been through an experience that nobody wants to experience."

The P-8A was on a mission to surveil illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing before it was diverted.

NZDF reported that a P-8A had carried out a successful patrol for fishing boats in the Pitcairn Islands, where strict marine conservation protections are in place.

They said the crew photographed 14 vessels who are now under assessment for possible illegal activity.