Police not finished Ben, Olivia search

BLENHEIM - Police are considering more searches of the Marlborough Sounds and Cook Strait to try to find the bodies of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.

Detective Inspector Rob Pope, who led the 20-month inquiry into the pair's disappearance, has said the case is far from over and would not be closed until the two are returned to their families.

On Saturday, Scott Watson was found guilty of murdering the Blenheim friends on New Year's Day last year, and is thought to have disposed of their bodies in Tory Channel or Cook Strait.

While the Smart and Hope families have appealed for him to tell them where the bodies are, Watson is maintaining his innocence and planning to appeal against his double-murder conviction.

Mr Pope said that while he did not want to fuel unrealistic hopes, police were considering further deep-sea searches.

In May last year the Navy and police searched an area of 1 sq km at the entrance to Endeavour Inlet, where Watson and his boat Blade had been seen early on New Year's morning.

However, the only thing recovered from the seabed was an old sail.

The maximum depth searched at that stage was 50m. If police were to head into Cook Strait, where Watson's boat Blade was also sighted, the water depth could be as much as 600m.

Mr Pope said remote-operated vehicles had been used in far deeper areas around the world, particularly in the search for the Titanic.

"We do have to be realistic. Searching for the Titanic was like looking for a rugby field. In this situation we are looking for a grain of sand," he said.

"We must put it into perspective, but I want people to know we haven't put finding the two on to the back burner.

"We will continue to search."

While a remote-operated vehicle could be used in Cook Strait, Mr Pope said, the conditions could make it difficult as the vessel required steadiness to allow accurate signals to be sent back to the mother ship.

The Cook Strait area is not the only one being considered by police. He said areas within the Marlborough Sounds were also possibilities.

"To undertake any search, though, we will need to be specific." - NZPA