Second body found at Lake Arapuni

Searchers at Lake Arapuni near Putaruru have this morning found a body, believed to be the second fisherman who went missing on the lake two weeks ago.

The body of what is believed to be the other fisherman was found at the lake on Friday afternoon.

The Taupo Area Commander, Inspector Steve Bullock, says both bodies will undergo a post-mortem examination in Auckland, when a formal identification will also be done. At this stage it is expected that the formal identification will be completed early next week.

Inspector Bullock says the boat the pair were in has not been found, and it may not ever be known what went wrong. He says the deaths will be referred to the Coroner.

“While this is obviously a tragic outcome to what should have been a pleasant fishing trip on a Sunday afternoon, the discovery of the bodies does provide some closure for the families of the missing men.”

Inspector Bullock says the Police would like to extend their thanks to everyone who has been involved in the search operation over the past 11 days, including partner agencies like the Coastguard and Harbour Master, search and rescue volunteers, family members, friends and members of the community who joined the search, as well as those who have provided significant support for the families.

He says members of Police will continue to work with the family over the coming days, and will remain at the lake today to complete their operation.

The two men are believed to have set off in a three metre boat from 'Jones Landing' at the northern end of the lake around midday on Sunday 28 August. The alarm was raised on Wednesday 31 August when a dog belonging to one of the men returned home without him. Police were notified that night and a search of the lake commenced at daybreak the next day.