Emotional scenes as body pulled from water at Tolaga Bay

The wharf at Tolaga Bay on the East Coast, north of Gisborne. File photo / Sarah Ivey

There were emotional scenes on the East Coast north of Gisborne yesterday afternoon as divers located and recovered missing Malaysian man Kuan Loon Loh.

The officer in charge of the search at Tolaga Bay said "the gods smiled" by returning his body.

The 37-year-old railway engineer disappeared in the water soon after he jumped off the Tolaga Bay wharf on Wednesday afternoon.

Fellow tour group member Simon Constable, from the UK, made a valiant attempt to save him underneath the wharf, but a large wave drove them both against a wharf pile and Mr Loh disappeared in the turbulence.

He was found at about 4pm yesterday afternoon.

"The navy team with their mine counter-measures sonar unit located Mr Loh and directed the police dive team to that spot," said search controller Sergeant Greg Lexmond.

Mr Loh was found on the seabed on the eastern side of the wharf, about 200 metres off the end of the wharf.

"His body was taken to the Gisborne Hospital mortuary where a formal identification process was started," Mr Lexmond said.

An hour before the discovery, the Loh family asked the 40 or so volunteers at the search base near the Tolaga Bay Holiday Park to gather together.

"They went from person to person hugging them and thanking them for their efforts. It was quite emotional for everyone," Mr Lexmond said.

"It was very moving. There were quite a few teary eyes," said Holiday Park owner Mike Brooker.

The family have stayed at the park since the tragedy and have been joined by relatives from Wellington.

"An hour later, when their loved one was found, they were absolutely elated," Mr Brooker said.

"They told me they had been blown away by the level of support they had received from the searchers and the Tolaga Bay community.

"They were quite reserved at first but as the community supported them more and more, they opened up more and more.

"It's an honour to be part of this community. The way it has all come together has been brilliant," Mr Brooker said.

Mr Lexmond said the Loh family were hugely relieved their son was found.

"The gods smiled on this family and it's a great result for them.

"We could not have done it without the navy sonar team, who worked 16-hour days to get this result," Mr Lexmond said.

"We could not have done it without the police divers either. They were relentless in their search efforts.

"It makes me very proud to be a police officer."

The Loh family held a private memorial service on the end of the wharf last night and it was followed by a second service for the volunteers and community, attended by about a hundred people.

"The karakia was very emotional for us all. The search gear was also blessed," Mr Brooker said.

More than a hundred people were involved in the five-day search.

The rahui put in place after Mr Loh disappeared was lifted this morning.

- Gisborne Herald