"One of a kind" Balclutha man Mitchell McPhee was farewelled by family and friends in Balclutha this afternoon.
About 500 mourners packed the town's South Otago Town & Country Club for a "celebration of his life" on a warm and overcast day.
Among the outpourings of sadness from family members and friends, those attending also paid tribute to the 23-year-old freezing worker's love of life and irrepressible energy.
Dedications led by celebrant Alex McLaughlin talked of a big-hearted, generous, witty young man quickly loved by all who encountered him.
The "likeable rogue" was on the point of "getting his life sorted" and was excited about the future when he tragically came to grief while paua fishing with friend Malcolm Ward in the Catlins on October 27.
Mr McPhee's death would leave "a huge void" in people's lives. He was "one of a kind," Mr McLaughlin said.
