1.45pm
Police divers today found the body of Wellington man John England, who disappeared off the Wairarapa coast when a boat capsized yesterday.
Mr England's body was found on the bottom of the sea, about 5m deep, 20m from where the sunken boat was located.
The body was being transported to Masterton Hospital, Senior Constable Keith Allen told NZPA.
Mr England, in his late 50s, of Island Bay, was lost when he and friend Brian Howard, also in his fifties, and his son Timothy Howard, 30, went to check crayfish pots they had set on Thursday night.
Their 14ft open fibreglass dinghy was capsized by a wave about 100m offshore from Stony Bay, between Flat Point and Cape Palliser east of Martinborough, just after 7.30am.
None of the men were wearing lifejackets, say police. It is believed Mr England could not swim.
"The coastguard search controller and police search and rescue staff have no doubt that the fact the men were not wearing life jackets could well have resulted in all three men losing their lives," a police statement said.
The men were only about 100m from shore when they were thrown into the water. The trio were able to cling to the boat for a short time before it sank.
Timothy Howard swam ashore and alerted people who were camped nearby. Several of the group swam out and rescued his father but Mr England had disappeared by this time.
After being rescued Mr Howard senior was flown to hospital with minor injuries.
The police dive squad found the boat's fuel tank, but had to suspend searching yesterday when swells got too big.
Local boaties also helped in the search.
- NZPA
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