Police searching for a father and his young son who went missing when their dinghy overturned in Manukau Harbour yesterday have found the body of the seven-year-old boy.
The boy's body was recovered from the water under Mangere Bridge about 7.15pm.
Police had called off the search for the father's body for the night but would resume in the morning.
The Mangere man, 45, and his son had been missing since their aluminium dinghy tipped over under the old Mangere Bridge about 2pm yesterday, sending a group of five into the water.
Rescuers pulled three children to safety.
The search for the missing pair resumed at 7am, involving air, land and water efforts. Debris and clothing were found before 11am.
The grieving wife of the man said earlier today she blamed herself for the boat accident.
"It's all my fault. I just bought the boat for a present for my husband,'' said Latu Paasi, who stood vigil at the site of the tragedy today.
''... He wanted to come out here and test it to see if it was all right.''
She said didn't know they had taken the boat out yesterday until she got home after running some errands.
She went down to Mangere Bridge, her husband's favourite fishing spot, and learnt what happened.
It was not until she got to Middlemore Hospital that she found out her son and husband were still missing.
"I just want them home,'' she said today.
The youngest of the children plucked to safety, a five-year-old, remained in a critical condition in Starship Children's Hospital today. The other two were stable.
Several bystanders, including a firefighter who jumped into the water to help save the group, were taken to hospital - many of them showing signs of mild hypothermia after only a short time in the water.
