'We will miss you every day': Rafting guide Keith 'Chief' Haare mourned by family

Keith "Chief" Haare, the rafting guide who died in Queenstown on Friday. Photo / Supplied

Tributes are pouring in for experienced rafting guide Keith "Chief" Haare who died suddenly yesterday while rafting the Shotover River with a tour group.

Friends and colleagues have remembered 62-year-old Haare as a "Kiwi Legend" and the "backbone" of the company he worked for, Queenstown Rafting, while his colleagues this afternoon added that he was a "mighty totara" who had fallen.

In an emotional post, family members said they would miss Haare, a grandfather, "every day".

"Today we lost our handsome dad doing what he loves, on the Shotover River as a guide for Queenstown Rafting.

"We will miss your guitar playing and long hair. You will be in heaven playing your guitar with the greats from your records since you were a young boy. We miss you already so much."

In a statement issued to media on Saturday, colleagues said Haare had been rafting since the 80s and had been an "integral member" of Queenstown Rafting since 1996.

Operations manager Guido Leek said Haare was a "legend".

"You can't get more experienced than he was- especially on that river. He was someone doing something he loved- he loved that river- he rafted year round," Leek said.

Head rafting guide Michel Lepage said tributes had been coming in from all over the world, including Peru, Nepal and Japan.

"We would get customers coming in to the office asking for Chief. We'd say 'do you know him' and they'd say no they'd just heard of him and wanted to meet him - he was such a legend in the industry."

Former general manager Tim Barke said a "mighty totara" had fallen.

Tributes on social media said Haare, known as "Chief", was a "legend in his own time" and a "true natural" rafting guide.

Haare as a young man. His family said they would miss his long hair and guitar playing. Photo / Facebook

"Sad news...Will never forget all the hardcase times, busting out moves in chicos, busting out moves with Jo Cocker, and of course riding the mighty shot over, RIP my lovely friend [sic]," one person wrote.

Another wrote Chief was the backbone of Queenstown Rafting where he worked, "adored by customers and friend to trainees".

His bio on the company website said his claim to fame is: "With over 20 years and thousands of trips under my belt, I'm the longest standing river guide for Queenstown Rafting."

Keith "Chief" Haare. Photo / Supplied

Police have not yet officially released his name.

Queenstown Rafting said Haare was found unresponsive in the water of Shotover River after recovering an overturned raft during an excursion about 11am.

After righting the raft while speaking to another guide he collapsed, the company said.

Harre was one of three guides accompanying 11 passengers on two rafts on a trip between Deep Creek, in Skippers Canyon, and Arthurs Point.

The incident occurred just after he went through a rapid in the "Mother" section of the river, about halfway through the trip.

CPR was performed at the scene but Haare couldn't be revived.

His body was flown from the site soon after noon by a Lakes District Air Rescue Trust helicopter.

Taylor said the company had suspended its rafting operations and would carry out its own investigation.

The incident was being handled by the police and Maritime New Zealand, and WorkSafe New Zealand had been informed.

Queenstown Rafting, which merged last year with two other companies under the Go Orange brand, claims to be the country's largest whitewater rafting operator.