Diver's sister will do same course

Photo / Dean Purcell

The sister of a man who died while on a training dive in Lake Pupuke plans to take a course with the same company as a tribute to her brother.

Danielle North lost her brother Tyron, 37, in the incident on July 15, in which his friend Daniel Stoneham, 33, also died.

Since his death, she and her partner have decided to take a diving course with the same company, Helix Training Ltd.

She wanted to experience what her brother had and to show they did not blame the company for the incident, she said.

"I think it would be a really good way to do it for him, " she said.

The family also planned to go to Niue next year to scatter North's ashes, as he had dreamed of diving there after completing the course, said his sister.

North and Stoneham had been part of a dive party comprising an instructor and seven student divers from the Tauranga-based outdoor education provider, Adventure Education.

South Auckland company Helix Training Ltd ran the course.

They were on the last day of a five-month course when the accident happened.

Helix owner Haydon Allan confirmed they had been contacted by Danielle North about learning to dive and it would be arranged following the police investigation.

Allan said staff had been overwhelmed by the love the families of the two men had shown them."They are amazing people," he said.

The instructor involved was "incredibly distraught about the loss of Daniel and Tyron", said Allan.

The men were found about 100m from the shore. Neither man had health issues and both were thought to have drowned.