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A 29-year-old woman who died while diving in the Bay of Plenty was a "vibrant, inspiring" person who made a difference in people's lives, her friends and family say.
The body of Catherine Elizabeth Kells was found off the coast of Mt Maunganui early yesterday as her loved ones prepared to begin a third day of searches.
The Hamilton occupational therapist got into trouble on a dive near Motiti Island, about 20km east of the Mount, on Friday and failed to surface.
Searches from the air and sea, and by members of the police national dive squad, found no trace of her.
Her body was discovered by a fisherman at 5.45am near the area where she disappeared while diving for scallops with three friends.
Ms Kells' diving partner and close friend, Jodi Carter, told the Herald she was devastated at Ms Kells' death.
"She will leave a big hole in the life of many," she said.
"Catherine was not only a gem, she was a box of treasures.
"She was a vibrant, inspiring chick who lived life to the full."
Ms Carter said Ms Kells, whom she had known since childhood and worked with at occupational therapy firm Ergoworks Waikato, led the way in many adventures.
"Whether it was a camping trip, snowboarding, her rowing, or a night out dancing, Catherine gave it all.
"She had depth of character, a wicked sense of humour, warmth and a personality which would fill any space she entered."
The pair cemented their friendship while studying occupational therapy in Auckland and learned to dive while backpacking in Egypt in 2004.
They gained their basic and advanced certificates and had done about a dozen dives together before Friday's accident.
"We really trusted each other as diving partners," Ms Carter said.
The two were surfacing from a 29m dive when Ms Kells began experiencing difficulties and grabbed the regulator out of Ms Carter's mouth.
Ms Carter helped by giving her air but then ran out as well and was forced to surface.
It is not known why Ms Kells had problems breathing, as her tank was found with air inside.
A committed Christian and second of five sisters, Ms Kells had earlier done a nine-month stint as a volunteer occupational therapist in Sierra Leone, Africa.
She paid her own way on the job and among those she helped was a boy with cerebral palsy for whom she designed a seating system that allowed him to attend school.
"She made a difference in people's lives," said her mother Josie.
Her father Kip said his daughter's upbringing on a farm near Raglan made her a practical person who could adapt to the difficult conditions in Sierra Leone.
In newsletters to her family, Ms Kells said she found the work "really rewarding" and was grateful to sponsors who gave her money to stay beyond her initial six-month contract.
Ms Kells travelled extensively through Africa, Europe and Asia, and was also a keen sportswoman, enjoying swimming, surfing, skiing, white-water rafting and, in recent years, triathlons.
In April last year, she took up rowing and joined a crew that came fourth in the novice cox four category at the national championships.
Her rowing coach, Judine Fitness, said Ms Kells was mentally tough and kept the crew motivated with her great sense of humour and love of life.
"The world would be a far better place if we had more people like her," Ms Fitness said.
* TOLL GROWS
Six people have drowned since Christmas Day.
The latest was a 25-year-old woman, who drowned after climbing into the Havelock North village swimming pool at 3.30am yesterday.
Attempts to resuscitate the woman, who is believed to have been drinking, were unsuccessful.
