A flashing emergency beacon found by navy divers in the sunken wreckage of Easy Rider in Foveaux Strait was one of several tragic failings of safety equipment which might have contributed to the deaths of eight people.
A short inquest in Invercargill yesterday confirmed the deaths by drowning of Shane Ronald Topi (29), Boe Taikawa Gillies (28), John Henry Karetai (58) and Peter Glen Pekamu-Bloxham (53), whose bodies were recovered, and of skipper William Rewai Desmond Karetai (47), Paul Jason Fowler-Karetai (40), David George Fowler (50) and Odin Nirvana Karetai (7), whose bodies were never found, after Easy Rider sank near Stewart Island on March 15.
As well as the emergency beacon, which could not send signals underwater, a life raft was wedged on the port side of the vessel, the hydrostatic release not having been activated.
The four bodies were found without life jackets and a container with five flares was washed up on a beach at Ruapeke Island.
Chief coroner Judge Neil MacLean said had the emergency beacon been able to be released and start transmitting immediately when it came to the surface, as it was designed to do, it could well have shortened the search response time, which was "impressively quick considering the circumstances".
"Bearing in mind the very narrow window of survivability and the fact that Mr Reedy survived extraordinarily for about 19 hours, the question must always remain had the authorities in the local community been aware of the sinking earlier, that some other lives may have been saved," he said.
Easy Rider sank on its way from Bluff to Big South Cape Island to drop off passengers for muttonbirding.
On board were nine people, muttonbirding provisions, several blue cod pots, and more than a tonne of ice and bait in the freezer hold.
About midnight, Easy Rider was hit by a large wave and "completely flipped", according to the only survivor, Dallas Tumoana Reedy (44).
A search and rescue operation was launched only after Easy Rider failed to rendezvous with Southland Lakes Helicopter at 2pm the following day.
Mr Reedy clung to the overturned boat's hull for several hours, then managed to use a 20-litre petrol container for buoyancy before being rescued about 6.10pm.
Hours later, the first body was recovered.
Three other bodies were located on March 16.
Judge MacLean said the four missing people "clearly perished at or about the same time" as those whose bodies were recovered.
"It is also possible to conclude that the place of death was at or close by where the wreck of the Easy Rider was located."
Judge MacLean said yesterday's inquest was primarily held to help the families of the missing men bring closure with death certification and documentation.
Because other inquiries were under way it was not appropriate to answer yet whether there were lessons to be learnt.
The Transport Accident Investigation Authority has already made warnings about stability limitations on boats such as Easy Rider.
However, he commended the "amazing, total community response" in what was one of the largest search operations completed in recent years.
It involved more than 7000 man hours, 40 hours flying time, 12 commercial fishing vessels using 2200 man hours and two coastguard vessels using 740 hours.
