The bodies of the two men recovered in the Catlins were believed to be the Balclutha workmates who did not return from a paua diving trip.
Senior Constable Murray Hewitson, of Owaka, said two bodies were recovered within the first few hours of the Police National Dive Squad entering the water on Monday at Harts Rock, where the men were last seen on Saturday, about 1km south of Purakaunui Bay.
The search began on Saturday night when the alarm was raised that the men had not returned.
Police and search volunteers retraced by air, land and sea what they knew of the missing mens' steps to conclude that Harts Rock, a popular diving spot because of its rocky shoreline, was the most likely place to concentrate the search at first light on Sunday and with the dive team on Monday.
The men, aged 23 and 51, would have arrived at Purakaunui Bay in a four-wheel-drive and trailer with a quad bike on board to begin their outing, Hewitson said.
Police located and recovered those vehicles during the weekend.
It was surmised the men would have driven the quad bike down the beach to Harts Rock and walked the remaining 50 metres to the rocks and entered the water.
They were free divers, unencumbered by gear, and believed to be looking for paua.
A police dive team went into the water about 8.45am and two bodies were found in the Harts Rock area between 10am and 11am on Monday.
Formal identification has not yet taken place.
Hewitson, who managed the search and rescue operation, said the fact the team was correct in its conclusions, and that bodies were found so quickly, was "bittersweet": sweet because it was a relief for the families to not prolong their distress, but bitter because of what they would now have to deal with.
"We're grieved and relieved at the same time."
It was also fortunate that the bodies were found relatively close to shore, rather than washed out into the wider ocean where they may never have been found, he said.
It would be up to the coroner to determine what happened to the men in their last moments and what had caused them to get into difficulty.
The operation was wound up within a few hours of finding the men, with the team returning to the Owaka Catlins search and rescue Landsar base in the early afternoon.
A resident said this section of coastline on the way to Long Point was a well known paua hunting ground, as were many spots along the various bays.
Catlins Land Search and Rescue member and search operations manager Senior Constable Murray Hewitson, of Owaka, said about 30 volunteers had assisted in an extensive land, sea and air search on Sunday to find the two missing men.
Five boats, six IRBs, a rescue helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft had been deployed.
Senior Sergeant Bevan Sheffield-Cranstoun, of Wellington, gave a safety message on Monday and said "for free divers, and even scuba diving, operate in pairs at all times. Particularly for free diving, operate a one up, one down policy."
"Also making sure they are diving to the conditions and diving to experience levels."
