Guilt over failure to find trawler victim who died

Rescuers have told of their despair in failing to locate a crew member who may still have been alive during initial searches after last weekend's Foveaux Strait trawler tragedy.

Six people died in one of New Zealand's worst marine disasters when the 17m trawler Kotuku capsized on Saturday while ferrying members of Bluff's Topi whanau to the mainland after a muttonbird hunting trip.

On Monday, a police diver recovered the bodies of Peter Topi, 78, Sailor Trow-Topi, 9, and Shain Topi-Tairi, 9. The bodies of Ian Hayward, 52, Clinton Woods, 34, and Tania Topi, 41, were found on Sunday. Kotuku skipper John Edminstin, 56, Paul Topi, 46, and Dylan Topi, 16, survived by swimming to nearby Women's Island.

Police believe the vessel was hit by two waves in a matter of seconds and there was no time for those on board to activate emergency beacons or to radio for help. Life jackets were on board the vessel, but were not believed to have been used.

A week after the tragedy, rescuers say they are still coming to terms with the fact Mr Woods had survived the initial capsizing - and had managed to swim ashore to Women's Island, the area rescuers focused much of their initial search efforts on. Helicopters with searchlights had swooped over the island, but were unable to search the area where Mr Woods was later found because of appalling weather conditions.

Mr Woods, who was probably suffering from hypothermia, was unable to survive the icy cold conditions on the island and is believed to have died during the night.

Helicopter operator Lloyd Matheson told the Herald on Sunday he and the other rescuers had spent the week "beating themselves up" over Mr Woods' death especially.

"He's had to come ashore alive, and then succumbed during the night sometime," he said. "The weather conditions were unpleasant enough that it didn't allow us to search that area of the island that night."

However, Mr Matheson said rescuers were taking some comfort from the fact they had managed to save three of the men who were on board the stricken Kotuku. The rescue of Mr Edminstin had been especially difficult because he was located near a cliff and could not be winched aboard the helicopter.

"He was buggered really. He was mumbling, I couldn't understand what he was saying at all," Mr Matheson said.

"His body was in convulsions. He was lucky to be alive."

Sergeant Ian Martin of the Bluff police, who headed search and rescue efforts, said police were more than happy with the way the search for victims was carried out.