The search for a missing 58-year-old man continued early Monday morning, with the police and Samoa Fire and Emergency Services crews setting out before 6 am, Fire Commissioner Tanuvasa Petone Mauga said.

As of Monday afternoon, the man had not been found.

The search teams extended their efforts beyond Mulinu'u, reaching past Vaitele, Faleula, and Saleimoa, following the ocean current's drift pattern, Tanuvasa confirmed.

"We suspect that he has drifted toward that direction because that is where the current goes," he said.

Tanuvasa added that while high tide conditions were favourable for the search, visibility from the shoreline was limited due to the teams’ distance offshore.

Authorities have not released the missing man's name, with police handling the official identification.

"We'll find out more as the day progresses," Tanuvasa said.

The fisherman was reported missing over the weekend, prompting a coordinated land and sea search. It is believed the man, missing since Saturday, is a preacher at a church in Lepea.

When the Samoa Observer visited Mulinu'u on Monday, one person said they were a church member related to the missing man. Many declined to comment, but one church member said the man's wife and children are finding it difficult to cope with the situation.

It is believed that the missing man was a pastor at a church in Lepea. It is also believed that the man was caught in the strong currents when he went out fishing on Saturday.

A full scale search and rescue operation by the authorities commenced on Sunday.