Searchers say there is a slim hope for finding the body of the second victim of last week’s plane crash off Kapiti Island.
Police and Navy divers last night recovered the body on one of the two men on board. Dental records will be used tomorrow to formally identify the victim and a postmortem will be held at Wellington Hospital.
Senior Sergeant Mike Coleman, search spokesman, says divers have today further inspected the wrecked cockpit of the Convair plane, which is sitting about 35m underwater.
"The cockpit is extensively damaged and they were unable to find the second body," Senior Sergeant Coleman says. "The Navy divers are now being stood down from the operation as the chance of finding anyone else is very slim."
He says the families of both men -- pilot Barry Cowley and copilot Phil Miller -- have been advised.
Senior Sergeant Coleman says the salvage operation will start in earnest tomorrow. The cockpit will be one of the first items to be brought to the surface. It will again be checked by police divers to see if there is any sign of the second body.