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A Christchurch woman wants Cook Islands authorities to acknowledge her husband is dead after he disappeared at sea off Rarotonga 16 months ago.
Susan Beckett, 44, told The Press newspaper her husband Brendan, 45, had been snorkelling in September 2006 while the couple, were on their second honeymoon.
He did not return and a body was later spotted and filmed by searchers in a private helicopter the next morning.
When a boat arrived at the site two hours later the body was gone. There had been reports of a large shark in the area.
Ms Beckett viewed the film footage and identified her husband but without a body the authorities have been reluctant to declare him dead.
There have been four inquest hearings since December 2006 with a fifth scheduled for next month.
Ms Beckett, who has two children, told the newspaper she the lack of a death certificate was causing financial problems for her.
While Work and Income New Zealand was happy to pay her a widow's benefit, she was unable to collect his final pay from his former employer Air New Zealand, claim travel insurance or make a new will.
"It seems very unfair that I have no money and have trouble paying bills. I have had to disconnect my phone because I couldn't afford to keep it,"
"Christmas was an especially hard time, not being able to buy gifts. All this is very frustrating and traumatising."
Cook Islands Police commissioner Pat Tasker said the matter was with the courts now.
"The fact that a body has not been found is one of the reasons the coroner is being cautious.
"This is not surprising after reading of the recent British example where the so-called deceased turned up some years later, after all matters around his death were settled. This was also a drowning."
- NZPA
