Family glad diver's goal achieved

Family glad diver's goal achieved

CLAIRE HAREN - South Canterbury | Thursday, 13 November 2008

THE family of Blenheim diver Kevin Bailey are grateful that he got to achieve one of his long-held aims, to dive the wreck of the Holmglen off the coast of Timaru.

The search for the 63-year-old master dive instructor was called off yesterday morning after two days' searching involving helicopters, coastguard vessels, a plane and fishing vessels failed to find any trace of him. Searchers stood down about 5.30pm Tuesday, and the decision was made to suspend the search at 10am yesterday.

Mr Bailey was reported missing at about 2.30pm Monday after he failed to surface from a dive to the Holmglen, 36kms off the coast of Timaru.

Mr Bailey's daughter Rebecca Brosnan, said the family had anticipated the search being suspended, and did not feel it was likely Mr Bailey had survived.

"We're confident that he was gone when the incident happened. He would have been found on the first night if he was up on the surface."

Mrs Brosnan said it had been a well-planned and well-executed dive, and had been anticipated for quite some time for weather conditions to be right.

"They had been out the day before, but had come back in because the weather conditions were not quite right. But it was perfect on the day, no wind, no current."

Mrs Brosnan said there were few divers in the country who could dive to the level of the Holmglen - 63 metres - but her father had dived at that level before.

"They were all very experienced divers.

"It was because they wanted to dive it, that was a goal of theirs - it wasn't because they were looking for something, it was just a personal challenge.

"We think that they are only the third dive party to dive it (including the New Zealand Navy's dive in 1963)."

The other Blenheim-based diver had spoken to the family about what had happened during the dive, and about the rescue efforts. They had also been given photographs from the dive.

"We know Dad had a fantastic dive, they were all relaxed, and everything was great. It was a split-second thing. He'd had a great time - it was a bit like a kid in a candy store, something he'd always wanted to do."

Mrs Brosnan said Mr Bailey had also wanted to dive a wreck on the West Coast, and would have continued on to do that some time in the future.

"And he definitely would have gone back to the Holmglen."

Mrs Brosnan said the family had been grateful for the efforts made by the local fishing fleet and Coastguard, and understood what those efforts entailed, as Mr Bailey had been involved with search and rescue operations in the Marlborough area.

"When you have divers in the family, this is something you live with, not that you expect it. But you know that there are risks. Dad took risks that he deemed acceptable."

For now, the family was taking each day as it came, and appreciating the support received from the Marlborough and diving communities.

Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand officer Keith Allen said the difficult decision to suspend the search had been made after an extremely thorough search of a 350 square mile area around the wreck where Mr Bailey had last been seen.

"Taking into account the wide area covered by the search, the temperature of the water, and the time that has now elapsed, it is considered the search has continued past the point where anyone could reasonably be expected to be found alive", he said.

The rescue co-ordination centre recommended to the acting director of Maritime New Zealand that in the absence of any new information, the search be suspended.

"While we are confident that all relevant information has been acted on, we will consider resuming the search should any new information come to light."

Mr Allen thanked all who had been involved in the search for Mr Bailey.

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