PICTON, New Zealand (29 Dec 2005) -- Two divers searched in vain for their Canterbury dive buddy after he went missing in a bay in the Marlborough Sounds yesterday. The men lost contact with Andrew Archibald, 29, and when bubbles from his tank disappeared from the water surface they urgently tried to find him, said Senior Sergeant Peter Payne, of the Picton police. "The three of them were down there, the boat person lost his bubbles and gave the signal with three revs on the motor," he said. "The other two surfaced and they went to where they last saw his bubbles. The two got off, dived in and couldn't find him, and there's been no sign since. He was with them one minute, then the bubbles stopped." Police and search groups, including the harbourmaster patrol team, tried to find the man in Kumutoto Bay after the alarm was first raised about 9am yesterday. The three divers were on a scalloping trip and conditions were near-perfect, Payne said. "It's pretty calm, it's been a beautiful day and there's been little wind," he said. Searches of the bay coastline were made by the Westpac rescue helicopter and a Marlborough coastguard and harbour patrol boat. Kumutoto Bay is about 15 minutes from Picton by boat and near the scenic Queen Charlotte walkway. Payne said the Wellington-based police dive team of four had made two sweeps of the area by 7pm. A third sweep was planned. The search was expected to resume this morning. Archibald was thought to be from Christchurch, and some relatives had been informed. | | Police declined to say where in Canterbury Archibald was from. Marlborough District Council harbourmaster Alex Van Wijngaarden said his patrol boat team had been assisting police throughout the day. The search will have rekindled painful memories for another South Island family, still suffering the uncertainty over another ill-fated dive. Police suspended a search for Christchurch diver Steven Leslie Cope, 44, on December 22, although Cope's father, Robin Cope, said yesterday that there had been hopes by the family the search would continue. Steven Cope remains missing, feared drowned, off Motunau Beach, North Canterbury. Robin Cope said the family were obviously still upset his son had not been found. "As you can imagine, I'm pretty anxious about the whole thing," he said. The former Crusaders rugby squad physiotherapist was reported missing on December 17. Sergeant Peter Summerfield said sea and air searches for Cope were fruitless. SOURCE - Stuff |
