Lagoon death: Man named

A motorised scooter is removed from Awatapu Lagoon, where a man is believed to have drowned.

A man found dead in a lagoon in Whakatane yesterday has been named as Christopher John Erlbeck.

Mr Erlbeck, 60, who was from Whakatane, was found around 3.30pm yesterday face down in
the Awatapu Lagoon on Awatapu Drive. He was close to a vertical bank approximately
1.5m steep.

Also in the water was Mr Erlbeck's electric wheelchair.

Inquiries are ongoing into how Mr Erlbeck died but there are no suspicious
circumstances and the matter has been referred to the Coroner.