CORONER'S COURT - Duty to family may have cost surgeon his life

An out of character decision and a need to get home to his family could have cost Northland eye surgeon Geoffrey Martin Wallace his life when he tried to cross Whangarei Harbour in treacherous sea conditions.
The 46-year-old father of three went missing while trying to cross Whangarei Harbour, from One Tree Pt to his home at Parua Bay, in a small dinghy on October 24, 2007.
An inquest into his death held in the Whangarei District Court heard it was unclear as to whether Mr Wallace had been wearing a life jacket or not when he tried to cross the harbour about 5.30pm. He never made it home and his body was found 12 days later, on November 5.
However, coroner Brandt Shortland said the conditions in the harbour that day were so treacherous that his life would have been in jeopardy with or without a life jacket.
"This is a warning for any New Zealander or person who engages in water activities or boats on the water to take the upmost care," Mr Shortland said.
In court his widow Kathryn said her husband was meticulous and careful when on the water and it had been an out of character decision.
"I will miss him forever. We will miss our hero. He was an enthusiastic, intelligent inspiring husband and father," she said.
Mr Wallace's brother-in-law Peter Holder spoke of how Mr Wallace had been around the sea all his life, was meticulous with safety and had huge respect for the sea.
"His devotion and sense of duty to his family clouded his judgment on that day," Mr Holder said.
Mr Wallace was in a rush to get to his Parua Bay home by 7 that night so he could relieve his wife of the child-minding duties so she could enjoy a night out with friends, he said.
But a string of events conspired against him and claimed his life.
Earlier that day, Mr Wallace had driven to Marsden Cove Marina and sailed his yacht up the harbour to a dry dock on Riverside Dr.
He caught a taxi back to the marina, only to discover he had left his keys on the yacht.
Mr Wallace planned to motor across the harbour to home - a crossing he had safely done before - to make his appointment with his wife.
However, sea conditions had deteriorated.
Kite surfer Mike Holland was returning from Snake Bank to One Tree Point when he passed Mr Wallace heading into the roughest part of the harbour.
The wind had been gusting up to 30 knots and the waves were up to 1.2m.
A nearby fisherman, Paul Davies, described the wind as "howling" down the harbour.
Heading towards One Tree Point the waves from behind pushed his boat into the waves in front and water had come over the transom.
He saw Mr Wallace heading into the middle of the channel among large waves.
After a few minutes he lost sight of him through the sea spray.
Police launched a search once the alarm was raised by Mrs Wallace.
Dozens of searchers, including police and volunteers, scoured the sea and tramped the coastline in search of Mr Wallace over the next 12 days.
Helicopter pilot David Blackley spotted Mr Wallace's body near Snake Bank on November 5.
Mr Shortland said the impact Mr Wallace had had on the community was evident by the outpouring of the community who were involved in the search.
Before the formal part of the hearing the coroner, police involved in the search, witnesses who saw Mr Wallace in his dingy and Mr Holder went in a launch to the area of the harbour where Mr Wallace was last seen.
Mr Shortland found Mr Wallace drowned.