Searchers retrieved the body of Miroslav Tvaroh, 34, of Greytown, from Castle Rock a rocky outcrop on the Riversdale Beach side of The Gap at 7.45am after it was spotted by an Amalgamated Helicopters crew, on low tide.
An inflatable craft belonging to Riversdale Surf Lifesaving Club was brought in to help with the recovery of the body but could not retrieve it because of the swell.
Special equipment aboard the helicopter was eventually used to lift the body from the rocks and bring it out.
The Czech national had been reported missing by his partner Simona on Christmas Eve after he failed to return from his solo drive to the coast. A major search and rescue operation was mounted when his blue Mazda station wagon was found abandoned near a church on Jetty Rd.
Mr Tvaroh had been in New Zealand for eight years and his lifelong friend Simona had arrived here from the Czech Republic to join him about two years ago.
Police have confirmed the death is to be referred to the coroner and that it resulted from Mr Tvaroh falling from Castle Rock.
A restoration walk can be used to access Castle Rock from Jetty Rd or Balfour Cres.
Wairarapa United's head coach Phil Keinzley said Mr Tvaroh had loved New Zealand and he and Simona were in the process of applying for citizenship.
Regarded as a lynchpin of Wairarapa United's premier football team, Mr Tvaroh - a holding midfielder - played more than 100 games for the top team and was part of the Chatham Cup winning side in 2011.
He was employed as Wairarapa United's development coach and coached its second side, winning promotion from Capital Football division three to division two.
He was also the head coach of the Heartland Wairarapa under-20 side.
The team is to play its first game in the national youth league on January 11.
Mr Keinzley described Mr Tvaroh as "a really awesome guy" who had been one of his best mates.
"Miroslav has been a very important part of Wairarapa United. He took on a massive development programme, coaching at colleges, primary schools and all the country schoools."
Heartland Wairarapa chief executive Sam Rossiter-Stead said the club's players are "gutted" by the news.
"He's spent the last few months preparing this [under-20] team for our first ever foray into the highest level of age grade football," he said.
"Miroslav was such an inspiration to them. It's devastating he won't be there."
He said they were grateful to Football New Zealand and Capital Football for their support.
"Parents and players have sent many messages of support - many of them offered to help with the search."
He said their board, players and parents were planning a tribute to Mr Tvaroh.
The loss of the star sportsman comes 18 months after the sea claimed the life of an up-and-coming rugby player.
Fijian Eroni Gaunavou, 22, played for Puketoi and had just made the Wairarapa-Bush squad when he was lost at sea at Akitio at Easter last year.
His body was never recovered and a coronial inquest established the cause of death as drowning.
- By Don Farmer of the Wairarapa Times Age
