A search of the bottom of the Veronica Channel has failed to find a dinghy which sank after it collided with a yacht, causing the death of 68-year-old Joseph Reti of Waikare.
Northland harbourmaster Jim Lyle said two regional council boats, the 16m Waikare and the 5.8m catamaran Karetu, spent close to three hours searching the area where Mr Reti's dinghy went down about 8.30am on Sunday. The accident occurred roughly 50m from the wharf in water 18-20m deep. It was an area of strong currents so the dinghy could have drifted a long way. It could also be stuck just under the wharf.
"We searched the area as comprehensively as we could ... it's a big ocean out there. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
The Waikare used its widescreen sonar to search the bottom while the Karetu followed behind with a drag line and hook. Three council staff and a Maritime NZ official took part in the search.
Witnesses said the dinghy appeared to go straight down so it was unlikely to become a marine hazard. Staff would keep an eye out for it in case it turned up somewhere in the shallows.
The council's boats would soon be fitted with new sonar equipment making future searches easier.
Both the dinghy and the 12.8m, Auckland-registered yacht Glen Mohr were under motor when they collided. Police released Mr Reti's name late yesterday once his next of kin had been informed.
Officers spent much of Sunday taking statements from witnesses and the two men on board the yacht. A post mortem will determine whether Mr Reti died as a result of the collision, drowning or underlying medical causes.
Sergeant Phil Le Comte, of Kerikeri police, said the yacht was motoring up the Veronica Channel on Sunday morning when the aluminium dinghy with an outboard appeared from its left. One of the men on board the yacht dived in to save Mr Reti, who was unresponsive and floating on the surface. He was dragged into another dinghy launched from the yacht.
Crew members from the tall ship R Tucker Thompson saw the collision and sent a motorised dinghy of their own to help. Mr Reti was placed in the dinghy and taken to Opua wharf while CPR was performed. Resuscitation attempts continued once he was on shore but were unsuccessful.
Far North Holdings, which operates the wharf, has provided footage from its CCTV cameras to Maritime NZ and the police as they try to work out who was at fault.
Mr Reti's belongings, including fuel canister, backpack, chilly bin and chairs, were retrieved from the water and are currently being held at the Kerikeri police station.