[h=1]Second diver still missing in lake tragedy[/h]Published: 9:46AM Saturday July 16, 2011 Source: ONE News
There's still no sign of a second dive student believed to have died in an accident on an Auckland lake.
Today conditions on Lake Pupuke on the North Shore were described as calm and favourable. The specialist police dive team continued to search the lake but they say they are no closer in working out what went wrong.
One diver is dead and another is missing after an excursion run by South Auckland dive school, Helix Training, ran into trouble at the lake yesterday.
The man who died has been formally identified as 37-year-old Aucklander Tyrone North. His body was recovered yesterday evening from the lake.
The family of the missing man are currently keeping a lakeside vigil.
But there's still no word from police on exactly how the tragedy happened.
"It really can only be an out of air emergency or some kind of equipment failure. To have two people die in this situation is very, very rare and certainly with instructors there it's even more rare," said instructor Malcolm Kidd, from Dive Centre.
Police said yesterday that a party of eight divers, understood to be five students and three instructors, were in the lake.
Five members of the group came up to shore about 1.45pm and when they realised three people were unaccounted for they raised the alarm.
The third diver was rescued with moderate injuries, and was transported to North Shore Hospital in a stable condition. The diver was later released.
A police dive squad from Wellington arrived last night to
join the search for the diver who is still missing.
Underwater conditions in Lake Pupuke can vary dramatically. At different depths the water temperature and clarity change significantly, and there's a lot of rubbish, weed and mud, which can affect visibility.
"It's probably not that both of them have had the same problem at the same time. It's one's had the problem, the other's gone to help, and the procedures have broken down and that hasn't worked," suggested Kidd.
The operation resumed this morning with sonar equipment being used to search for the diver in depths of more than 30 metres. A barge has been set up about 100 metres from shore on the southern side of Lake Pupuke to operate the equipment working in slow sweeps.
"Because they're working in fairly deep water, from 35 to 50 metres, they're using sonar equipment to identify anyone on the bottom of the lake bed," said Detective Senior Sergeant Kim Libby.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kim Libby said weather and water conditions are good so the sonar will achieve optimum performance.
He said the lake is up to 50 metres deep and navy divers will go down only if the sonar detects anything.
An autopsy on Tyrone North's body will be undertaken today.
The name of the missing diver has yet to be released.
Dive school "shattered"
Meanwhile, the diver training company involved in the tragedy said it is shattered.
The divers were attending an Adventure Education course run by East Tamaki dive school, Helix Training.
"This is a very difficult time for everyone involved. I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the friends and family of everyone involved," said Sharon Sutherland from Helix Training.
Sutherland said the focus for both it and Adventure Education are supporting the friends and family of the two divers.
The dive school has since cancelled its courses for the next week.
The divers were nearing the end of their four and five month programmes and were working towards their tertiary diving qualifications.
Helix Training has cancelled its courses in Auckland next week, but will keep its office open to offer support to all involved.
