Navy to assist in missing Wellington boatie search

Wednesday, 8 January 2014 - 10:25am

Wellington

Hutt Valley Police have requested the assistance of the Navy Dive Team in the search for the 49-year-old man who fell into the Hutt River on Sunday.

The Navy Dive Team will fly from Auckland by Hercules today and expect to have the team in the water by this afternoon.

The team is able to use Remote Environmental Monitoring Unit (REMUS) sonar equipment to survey the sea floor which dive teams can then explore in greater detail. It is expected that the Navy Dive Team survey will take up to two days.

Police can now release the name of the man at the centre of the search as Uikilifi PENIAMINA who lived locally in Upper Hutt.

Senior Sergeant Steve Harwood says "We appreciate the Navy assisting us in the search so that we can provide every reassurance to Mr Peniamina's family that everything was done to reunite them".

ENDS

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