Body in Kawarau River likely to be soldier from Unimog crash

Police have recovered a body from the Kawarau River and believe it is one of the two soldiers missing after an Army truck crashed into the river more than a week ago.

They also believe the body of the other soldier may have been spotted.

The Unimog truck plunged into the Central Otago river after leaving the road during an Army driver training exercise on February 23.

The body of Private Ashley Goodwin was immediately recovered from the crash site but two others, Private Shane Ohlen and Private David Partington, and the truck, could not be found.

Cromwell police were alerted to the first body about 8.30am yesterday after a person saw it floating in the river about 5km downstream from the crash site.

Police launched a jet boat and recovered the body a further 1km downstream. It was taken to Dunedin Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police hope to identify it today.

A police spokesman said a person saw another object floating in nearby Lake Dunstan, towards the Clyde Dam area. Officers were searching the area to see if it was the body of the other missing soldier.

Police also said they had analysed the results from a high-tech metal detector search this week of the river which showed an "area of extreme interest". This could be where the truck was resting.

Plans were still in place for a full search - using jet boats, kayaks and jetskis - of the Kawarau arm of Lake Dunstan and the Kawarau River up to the crash site today.

To find the truck, they have accepted an offer of an acoustic beam sonar device, which sends out a sound beam and draws the outline of any object under the water.

- NZPA