Two dead on Lake Wakatipu

Shortly after 10:00 pm on Monday 6 December 2010 Police at Queenstown were notified of a cell phone call for assistance made by a kayaker on Lake Wakatipu. The call was made to the cell phone of a local tourism operator who had earlier spoken to two men in an open double kayak. The tourism operator subsequently contacted Police.

Police initiated a search involving the Queenstown Coastguard, several local vessels and a night-vision equipped helicopter from Te Anau.

Shortly before 1:00 am on the morning of 7 December the crew of the helicopter located the bodies of the two men near the middle of the lake approximately 3 km west of Hidden Island.

Throughout the evening a 20 to 30 knot southerly wind had been blowing up the lake, generating a steep 1 metre southerly swell.

Police are in the process of formally identifying the men and making enquiries to locate next of kin. Both are believed to be foreign nationals aged in their 20's.