The dinghy has yet to be recovered. Photo / Chris McLennan
A Northland man who died following a boating accident in the Bay of Islands yesterday has been named.
He was Joseph Reti, 68, from Waikare, Russell.
Mr Reti was thrown from his dinghy following a collision with a 13-metre yacht which was coming in to Opua to refuel at 8.30am, police said.
It was not yet clear what Mr Reti was doing at the time of the crash.
Footage of the fatal crash was given to authorities to determine who was at fault.
An employee at asset management company Far North Holdings, based at Port Opua, said it had provided footage from its CCTV cameras to Maritime NZ and the police.
A salvage operation was carried out today to try to recover the dinghy, but was unsuccessful.
An investigation into the cause of the accident was continuing and a post-mortem examination was being carried, police said.
Kerikeri Sergeant Phil Le Comte yesterday said two men were on the yacht when the collision happened.
It was motoring up the Veronica channel in the Waikare inlet at Opua when the aluminium dinghy with an outboard appeared from its left side.
"So you've got one vessel going up the channel towards the Opua marina and then the other vessel comes from its left across its front, they collided, the male occupant of that dinghy is tossed into the water, [and] his dinghy sinks pretty much straight away.''
One of the men on the yacht dived in to help Mr Reti and he was pulled into another dinghy and brought to shore.
Mr Reti could not be resuscitated.
Police responded to the scene after reports the man got into trouble in the river.