Police divers return to Doubtful Sound

NZ Newswire Updated May 14, 2012, 12:39 pm

Police divers have returned to Fiordland, hoping to find more evidence of two missing fishermen after friends say they found the missing men's boat wheelhouse.

Four members of the police dive squad returned by helicopter to the Blanket Bay area in Doubtful Sound on Monday, two weeks after the K'Cee, carrying skipper Bruce Gordon, 42, and crewman Darren Allen, 37, was last seen.

Depending on weather and sea conditions, they hope to dive in the area where the K'Cee's bow was located south of Rocky Point, Secretary Island, out to about 100-150 metres offshore, says western Southland police area commander, Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley.

"They have met with the paua diver who located debris from the wheelhouse on Friday, roughly in the same locality."

Police had earlier called off the active search after finding only traces of the boat, such as dinghy floorboards, a liferaft bladder and the K'Cee's emergency locator beacon, which had not been activated.

But paua divers Doug Fox, Rob Emitt and Murray Braven found the remains of the K-Cee's wheelhouse on Friday, the Southland Times reported.

During a helicopter search they saw something in the water and returned to free dive the water and found the wheelhouse.

They asked police to send the dive squad back into the area.

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