DoC volunteer most likely drowned: Coroner

Mihai Muncus-Nagy, 33, was believed to have been carried out to sea on January 2, 2012, while working on Raoul Island's Fishing Rock, about 1100km northeast of Cape Reinga.

A Romanian volunteer who went missing while taking water temperature readings for the Department of Conservation on an isolated island more than two years ago most likely died from drowning, a Northland Coroner has ruled.

Mihai Muncus-Nagy, 33, was believed to have been carried out to sea on January 2, 2012, while working on Raoul Island's Fishing Rock, about 1100km northeast of Cape Reinga.

He was never found despite an extensive search undertaken by DoC workers on the island and by the New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre with a long-range helicopter.

In a final report released this week, Northland Coroner Brandt Shortland said based on the evidence he was satisfied that Mr Muncus-Nagy died most likely from drowning after trying to retrieve the thermometer and buoy that were stuck and lodged between rocks.

"This required him to to make his way down to the water's edge where the footing was less secure and in so doing, he has most likely fallen into the water, struggled and drowned," Mr Shortland said.

He didn't make any recommendations, saying he was satisfied that DoC had made positive changes to their programme and in particular the collecting of water temperature samples.

While Mr Muncus-Nagy's death was preventable, he said it must be examined in the context of the environment on Raoul Island against the risks and hazards that it presented.

"The system for recording sea water temperatures on the island worked on a balance of old-fashioned pragmatism coupled with how the island always operated."

The only item recovered was a jacket but the inquest couldn't determine how it became dislodged and was found on the shoreline during low tide.

Mr Shortland said there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Muncus-Nagy made his way off the island to live at another place.

The most significant change since the tragedy, he said, was that temperature recordings were no longer carried out on the island.

DoC had invited the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) to consider automated temperature readings should they require data in future.

Mr Muncus-Nagy's wife, Kinga, travelled to New Zealand twice as a guest of DoC and attended his inquest.

In November, DoC was convicted for failing to ensure Mr Muncus-Nagy's safety but no additional penalty was imposed because it had already paid his family $60,000 compensation.