Boatie missing after falling overboard named

File photo / Hagen Hopkins

A 49-year-old boatie believed to be dead after falling off a boat at the mouth of the Hutt River has been identified as Uikilifi Peniamina.

Mr Peniamina was collecting fishing nets when he was knocked from the boat and swept into Wellington Harbour on Sunday evening. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time.

Police said this morning the Navy dive team, which has access to special sonar equipment, has been called in to help with the search.

The sonar equipment will enable dive teams to explore the sea floor in greater detail, police said.

This was expected to take up to two days.

Mr Peniamina lived in Upper Hutt, police said.

"We appreciate the Navy assisting us in the search so that we can provide every reassurance to Mr Peniamina's family that everything was done to reunite them", Senior Sergeant Steve Harwood said.

A coastline search of Wellington Harbour was completed yesterday.