The swamped fishing boat (top) sits in Lake Tekapo
yesterday on a sand bank at the Cass River delta. Search
operations manager Ray Bellringer (above left) shows where
the South Canterbury men's boat was found. Their
four-wheel-drive vehicle and boat trailer parked at the
Tekapo boat ramp. Photos supplied/David Bruce.
The family of one of two men missing after a boating
tragedy on Lake Tekapo is praying they have survived.
The body of Alexander Haywood (72), of Pleasant Point, was
recovered from the lake early yesterday after Wednesday's
mishap.
Mr Haywood's son, Antony (46), and Murray Green (54), both of
Timaru, have not been found.
A spokesman for the Haywood family, Craig Coutts, of Timaru,
last night declined to comment, other than to say "our
prayers are out there for Tony and Murray".
Hope was fading last night of finding the two men alive,
despite extensive land and lake searches.
Senior Constable Russell Halkett, of Fairlie, said it was
unlikely the pair had survived.
"Anything is possible, but the ground and helicopter searches
showed no evidence they had made it out," he said.
The search was suspended about 5.10pm, but options would be
re-evaluated today.
Senior Constable Brent Swanson, of Tekapo, said:
"Unfortunately, Lake Tekapo tends to swallow bodies and not
give them back to us."
Search operations manager Ray Bellringer said the missing men
might have made it ashore and crawled somewhere for shelter,
then lost consciousness and been unable to hear searchers.
"There is still some hope we may find them alive."
Because Lake Tekapo was so cold - estimates range between
8degC and 10degC at this time of year - anyone in the water
would not survive long, perhaps "one or two hours".
The trio left Pleasant Point about 6am on Wednesday and
launched their 4m 1973 Flylight Fisherman boat, with its
Johnson 90hp motor and an auxiliary, about 11am.
They headed for the top of the lake for a day's fishing, in
choppy conditions with northwest to northerly winds gusting
up to 30kmh.
When they did not return, a family member went searching.
Mr Bellringer suspected something happened "earlier rather
than later" in the trip, because full Thermos flasks and
bread rolls were found in the boat.
The throttle on the boat was fully open, which also indicated
that whatever happened did so quickly.
It was suspected the mishap happened off the Cass River
mouth.
Staff on a neighbouring station reported seeing a boat
heading up the lake about 12.30pm on Wednesday.
An Air Force Iroquois with crew wearing night-vision
equipment searched for the boat on Wednesday night, finding
it shortly after midnight, but there was no sign of the men.
The swamped boat was on a sand bar 50m from the mouth of the
Cass River.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter from Christchurch started
searching at first light yesterday.
Alexander Haywood's body was found in the water about 7am.
He was not wearing a life jacket, although they were on
board, along with flares and a torch.
A large amount of flotsam from the boat was found.
Mr Bellringer said two boats were used to search the lake.
Ground search teams scoured the shoreline around the top of
the lake and Motuariki Island.
Between 35 and 40 people, including maritime search and
rescue personnel from Timaru and Department of Conservation
rescuers from Mt Cook, were involved.
Snr Const Swanson said the boat was refloated and towed to
Tekapo township where it was being examined last night by
Maritime Safety Authority inspectors.
- Additional reporting The Courier, Timaru
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