Man found dead in Otago river identified

Thursday, 21 May 2020

Police have identified a man found dead in a car in an Otago river as a 59-year-old Queenstown resident.

John Robert Howard's body was discovered in a partially submerged vehicle on Tuesday night, after crashing down a steep bank and into the Kawarau River on State Highway 6 the previous evening.

Howard was the owner of a decorating business and his passing would leave a hole in many peoples' lives, friend Tamara Ashby​ said.

'I cannot even bring myself to think about how much I will miss him. I also know that him passing will leave a huge hole in many peoples lives. He gave so much love to his friends,' she said.

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Police on Thursday publicly named Howard as the victim, but said they were still investigating what had happened.

The police national dive squad recovered his body on Wednesday.

Howard was believed to be the sole occupant of the car.

The vehicle was found more than 12 hours after it came off a remote rural road in the dark.

Motorists found debris on the roadside near Victoria Flats on Tuesday night.