Search for two missing men in Lake Tekapo suspended

Lake Tekapo. File photo / Simon Louisson

The search for two men missing after a boating accident on Lake Tekapo in South Canterbury has been suspended tonight.

A family member reported three men missing last night after they failed to return from a fishing day trip on the lake, about 100km northwest of Timaru.

A rescue helicopter found the body of Alexander Haywood, a 72-year-old from Pleasant Point, near Motuariki Island in the middle of the lake early today.

His son Anthony Haywood, 46, and friend Murray Green, 54, both from Timaru, remain missing.

Police believed the men's boat may have capsized after the wind picked up, creating choppy conditions .

Police suspended the search for them about 5.10pm, Senior Constable Russell Halkett said.

"We've searched all over the place, on foot and by water and by air.

"So we're going to re-evaluate things tonight and see what our options are from here."

The chances of finding them alive were getting slimmer as time went by, he said.

"It's a cold lake and it's a deep lake, but you just don't know and got to keep an open mind.

"But we've exhausted our options up to this stage and all we can do is revisit some areas in the next day or two maybe and see what happens."

They would also consider bringing in police divers, but it was a big murky lake, and visibility was difficult, Mr Halkett said.

Police this afternoon recovered the men's submerged boat, which an Iroquois helicopter had found about 50m from the Cass River outlet, about halfway up the lake on the western side, about 3.30am.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter from Christchurch started searching today after first light and discovered Alexander Haywood's body.

Twenty land search and rescue members and three local boats were involved in the search toda y.

- NZPA

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