The family of Mount Maunganui's David Fisher is fundraising for a memorial seat to be placed "somewhere with a view" before his 27th birthday so people can sit and remember him.
The 26-year-old was living and working at Lake Wanaka as a tour guide when he went missing just off Stevensons Island about midday on December 15 while trying to retrieve a drifting boat. His body was found the next day, not far from where he disappeared.
After the accident, the Fisher family set up a Givealittle page to raise funds for a personalised memorial seat in the hope it would have been David's 27th birthday in June.
"Getting a memorial seat for Dave would mean that family and friends would have a special place to go to remember him, just to sit and think of all the memories we have of him," Fisher's sister Rochelle said.
All money raised will be used to enable the family to buy a memorial seat and engraved plaque which will be placed somewhere special which was to be confirmed.