Blessing held for missing skydiver at Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu

Thursday, 18 January 2018

The family of American sky diver Tyler Nii have visited the Queenstown lake where he went missing more than a week ago.

Nii, 27, disappeared in Lake Wakatipu after a NZone tandem skydive jump went wrong on January 10.

His jumpmaster was rescued from the lake shortly after the crash, but Nii's body has not yet been found.

The Police National Dive Squad began using sonar equipment to search for Nii this week, but their efforts were delayed on Wednesday after they discovered the lake was deeper than they thought.

**READ MORE:

* Missing skydiver search put on hold as Lake Wakatipu proves too deep

* Queenstown skydive company reopens after tandem skydiving incident

* Sonar equipment set up in search for missing skydiver Tyler Nii

* Colleagues express 'deep sorrow' as Californian tennis coach Tyler Nii presumed dead in skydive crash

* Queenstown helicopter pilot hears about skydivers' crash, puts rescue plan into action**

Otago Lakes Central area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said police accompanied Nii's parents and brother to the lake on Thursday, where police Kaumātua Herewini Neho led a blessing for the family.

Local police, Southern district commander Paul Basham and Deputy Commissioner district operations Viv Rickard were also there.

'It was an honour for staff to host the family on the lake during what is a tragic time for them,' Jensen said in a statement.

The dive squad had secured additional equipment, which would be set up and tested on Friday, he said.