Members of the police dive team, the navy's mine countermeasures team and Niwa load advanced sonar equipment on to the Dual Image yesterday morning before the final day of a search operation on Lake Wanaka which resulted in the successful recovery of the body of Wanaka Yacht Club member Trevor Hawke (70). Photo by Lucy Ibbotson.

The body of Wanaka Yacht Club member Trevor Hawke (70) was recovered from Lake Wanaka yesterday, 10 days after he fell from his yacht while sailing with a friend.

Police SAR co-ordinator Senior Constable Emma Fleming said extensive searching by sonar teams had located Mr Hawke's body less than 1km south of Eely Point at a depth of 47m.

A Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) belonging to Niwa was introduced to the search operation yesterday which, together with the police dive team, enabled the successful recovery.

The navy's REMUS 100 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle had identified "points of interest" on Friday and completed a second sweep of those targets on Saturday to better identify them.

Mr Hawke, a founding member, former commodore and life member of the Wanaka Yacht Club, fell overboard in a boating accident on Lake Wanaka on November 17. He was wearing a life jacket but it was a manually-inflating model.

"This has been a tragic loss for the Hawke family and it is a relief to be able to return Trevor to his family and friends," Snr Const Fleming said.

"I would like to thank them for their patience and support of the search operation during this anxious time."

Snr Const Fleming acknowledged the assistance of those who helped during the search, including the efforts of Wanaka Yacht Club members, the Wanaka Coastguard, Simon Stewart and Lakeland Adventures and the witnesses and members of the public who had been so forthcoming with information and offers of support.

She also acknowledged the multiple agencies that contributed to the search - the Navy's mine countermeasures team, the Niwa ROV operator and the police dive squad.

Wanaka Yacht Club commodore Geoff Dickey was also relieved the search had reached a successful conclusion.

"I'm absolutely rapt for the family and everybody really. It just puts a bit of a closure on things," Mr Dickey said.

Once an inquiry into the accident had been completed, Mr Hawke's significant contribution to the club would "certainly" be acknowledged by some form of lasting memorial.

The matter has now been referred to the coroner.

- lucy.ibbotson@odt.co.nz

 

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