ScubaLouie

[ScubaLouie]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (8 Dec 2007) — Specialist police divers have joined a wide-ranging sea and air search for a diver missing off Makara Beach on Wellington's south coast, police said today.
Wellington police search and rescue co-ordinator Jo Holden said the 38-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, was diving with a private party off Boom Rock when she failed to surface about 8.30am.
Ms Holden said an expansive search had so far found no sign of the missing diver, apart from her rolled-up rescue sausage.
Police divers have been called in to assist the police launch Lady Elizabeth III,  Coastguard rescue vessels, commercial boats, a fixed wing aircraft and two helicopters looking for the diver.
Ms Holden said the search covered a "huge" area extending from north of Mana Island to Karori Rock and out towards The Brothers in Cook Strait.
The diver was with a party of four that left Paremata, north of Wellington, on a private dive trip before 8am today. She was diving with a buddy in 15-20 metres of water off Boom Rock when she became separated from her male companion shortly before they were due to surface.
"Dive conditions were pretty much ideal," Ms Holden said. "The woman's buddy surfaced and was picked up by the boatman. They couldn't see the woman on the surface so went back down to look for her."
The divers became concerned and put a call up on a marine radio channel, and emergency services were alerted.
Two helicopters from Westpac and Helipro and a fixed wing aircraft were put in the air, along with seven boats including the police launch and Coastguard vessels.       
Specialist police divers joined the search this afternoon.
"The search area is literally expanding by the minute," Ms Holden said. "It's a long time to be in the water but we remain hopeful of finding her alive."
The missing diver was in a black wetsuit, with a grey tank, fluorescent green fins and a brown catch bag.

[ScubaLouie]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (9 Dec 2007) — The body of a missing diver has been recovered not far from where the victim was last seen scuba diving.
Jacqueline Michelle Ngapera, 37, went missing yesterday after she became separated from her dive buddy while scuba diving off Boom Rock.
At 8:30am this morning, as the massive search for Ngapera resumed, friends found the victim at a depth of 21 meters off Makara Beach.
The body has been taken to the coroner for a post-mortem examination.
Officials said the accident is under investigation and police divers will check the seabed where Ngapera was found.
Ngapera was the client services manager of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust in Wellington.