Local politician dies while fishing in Lake Wanaka

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The body of a local politician has been found in Lake Wanaka.

About 5pm today searchers from Police Search and Rescue, LandSAR and Wanaka Coastguard recovered a body about 1km north of Boundary Creek.

It was identified as that of Kenneth George Copland, aged 63, of Wanaka.

Mr Copland's family raised the alarm after he failed to return from a fly-fishing trip at the mouth of the Makarora River, near his home, yesterday afternoon.

The search involved a tracking team and a helicopter with night vision equipment. Searchers found a fly-fishing backpack and Mr Copland's Labrador dog on a gravel island at the mouth of the Makarora River early this morning.

They also found a set of footprints leading into the water where the main river flow goes into the lake.

The search continued with an extensive aerial and shoreline search this morning, but no further signs of Mr Copland were found. A boat with sonar equipment was deployed, focusing its search at the rivermouth where it meets Lake Wanaka.

Police said it was likely that Mr Copland had waded into the water and onto a terrace off the gravel island that boarders the main river flow and the head of the lake.

"All indications are that he has slipped off the edge of the terrace and into the flow of the river and into the head of the lake,'' senior constable Mike Johnston said earlier today.

Police said tonight that they expressed their sympathies to Mr Copland's family and thanked LandSAR, the Wanaka Coastguard and local volunteers for their efforts in searching for him.

Police have now referred the matter to the coroner.