The body of helicopter pilot Michael Mehrtens will be taken to Christchurch today for a post-mortem examination.
It was recovered late yesterday afternoon during an underwater search at Lake Sumner in North Canterbury, three weeks after Mr Mehrtens's helicopter crashed.
The 35-year-old was the only occupant of the helicopter that crashed near Breaksea Bay on Monday May 21 while spraying gorse for the Department of Conservation.
A week later a Navy remotely operated vehicle (ROV) found the wreckage at a depth of 127m but there was no sign of the pilot.
A search on Sunday using a radial sonar device located an object of interest among helicopter debris on the lake bed.
Canterbury police operations manager Inspector Craig McKay said the body was retrieved around 5pm yesterday and Mr Mehrtens' family was briefed last night on the recovery operation.
His body will be released to the family once the post-mortem examination is complete.
