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Police described the "very moving" recovery of a body supposed to be that of the Wanaka helicopter pilot Matthew Wallis.
The body was recovered from the Stevenson Arm area of Wanaka Lake around 10 pm Monday, two days after its A helicopter crashed on a short solo flight to Mt. Aspiring National Park since l. Wanaka Airport.
Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw, at a press conference Tuesday, said that a body was located in the wreckage of the helicopter, at a depth of 47 meters on the flat bottom of the lake by the National Police Brigade and the Navy. .
TRENT HANCOCK / SUPPLIED
Shaw praised the "positive" attitude of the local community and all those involved in the operation. He estimated that there were about 30 people on the lake on Monday night, including the Wallis family, victim support and local iwi.
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"It was very moving and it was really a very good conclusion the operation … We would like to thank the entire community for that. "
Shaw said that a" significant amount "of helicopter wreckage had been recovered from the lake bed. Divers continued to work at night using the light of a remotely operated vehicle, he said.
The Transportation Accident Investigation Board (TAIC) investigates the cause of the crash.
GEORGE HEARD / STUFF
TAIC advised the helicopter manufacturer, Robinson, and the National Transportation Safety Board, in the United States, who had "offered their full support".
McClelland stated that the board would take into account the weather conditions at the time of the accident as part of its investigation, and would review the wreckage, including the condition where it was found compared to what she had been gathered.
"The helicopter hit the water GEORGE HEARD / STUFF
" It is a tragedy and our goal is to try to give answers [the family] and in the Together, to provide a safer aviation environment.WALLIS 'SORELY MISSED'
The Warbirds about Wanaka Community Trust President, John Gilks, said that Wallis would be "greatly missed" by a large number of people in the aviation industry.
"Our sincere condolences go to Matt Wallis' wife, Alice, their young son, Arthur, and to the Wallis family at their loss. "
" The Wallis family is highly respected in the Wanaka community. Matt's father, Sir Tim Wallis, founded the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow 30 years ago and all family members have been strong supporters of the event ever since.
"This was a tragic accident Our thoughts at this sad moment are with the Wallis family and the Alpine Group team."
GEORGE HEARD / STUFF
The Wallis body was recovered from water in Stevenson's. Arm the lake area, with some of the wreckage, by police and Navy divers around 10 pm Monday.
"This is the best possible result we could have hoped for in the circumstances, and we are happy to be able to put an end to Matthew's family in this sad time," said Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw
. "The police would like to thank the Wallis family, the New Zealand Defense Force, the LandSAR volunteers, the Wanaka community and the aviation industry for their help in this recovery operation."
Earlier, sonar Lake Wanaka Police at the time could not confirm that it was the wreckage.
The Navy had used remotely operated submarine vehicles to sweep the lake bed with the help of a sonar.
Family members also helped with the research, which had resumed early on Monday morning.
Jonathan Wallis said NZ Radio Monday morning that investigators believed his brother was "not as deep as other parts of the lake, but he still exceeds what would be normal, or of routine, diving. "
He said earlier that his brother was on a" very routine "flight, on a route that he had taken thousands of times
BROKEN AND KNITTED FAMILY
Matt Wallis was the third of four very close brothers, born at age five to each other, of determined and widely respected parents
. His father, Sir Tim Wallis, is best known as a pioneer of the live deer recovery industry in New Zealand and founder of the Warbirds Over Wanaka Air Show. Now retired, he was also a deer farmer and known for developing high quality genetics and exporting velvet, wood and pizzle to Asia.
According to a 2005 article Listener he survived collisions, including overhead power lines in a helicopter in 1968, breaking his back and permanently paralyzing his left leg. However, it was a 1996 accident on his Spitfire Mk XIV at 320 km / h at Wanaka Airport that left him so badly injured that he was unable to fly again.
He had already been knighted in 1994 for deer services. He has since been honored for his services to tourism.
His business is now maintained by his sons, including Alpine Helicopters, Southern Lakes Heliski, and the exclusive Minaret Station, of which Matt Wallis was General Manager of Tourism, according to his Linkedin profile.
The resort is a property of 22,257 hectares of deer, sheep and cattle with a tourism pavilion on Lake Wanaka. It is accessible only by air or sea and its guests have exclusive access to fishing and helicopter hunting.
In 2016, Matt Wallis, who hosts a journalist Stuff says that he was disturbed by people. had "made" New Zealand.
"The high country is the heart of the South Island, and almost no visitor has lived life here, I wanted to share this unique lifestyle with visitors without them. At the time of writing these lines, it was costing $ 1800 for flights back to the station and $ 2000 per night to stay.
Matthew's mother, Lady Prue Wallis, is She is also active in the Wanaka community, local and national committees, including the local ski club, arts organizations and the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation, and was the founding trustee of the Wanaka community. Festival of Wanaka Color and remains the patroness of the event.
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