The body of 24-year-old William Van Der Voort, from Rotorua has been retrieved from Lake Rotorua by the Police National Dive Squad this afternoon. Divers located him in approximately 3m of water, about 500m from shore.
An investigation is ongoing into the cause of the accident, but police have confirmed that none of the five men on board the boat before it sank were wearing life jackets.
As we head into summer, police cannot stress enough the importance of adhering to the basic rules of boating whenever you head out onto the water. It is extremely important not to be lulled into a false sense of security just because the weather conditions appear calm. It is also important not to underestimate the dangers of lakes, just because they may appear more benign than the ocean.