New Zealand / Regional

Sunken fishing vessel to be recovered

09:18 am on 16 April 2016

A fishing vessel that sank off the Canterbury coast last year, killing three people, is to be salvaged this weekend.

Photo: SUPPLIED

Terry Donald Booth, Paul Russell Bennett, and Jared Reese Husband died aboard the 90-tonne Jubilee when it sank 20 kilometres from the mouth of the Rakaia River last October.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission will attempt to lift the vessel, which is lying in 45 metres of water, and tow it to Port Lyttleton later today.

Chief investigator Tim Burfoot said investigations had so far stalled, and the recovery of the vessel would be key in trying to understand why it sank.

He said the family of the three men had been briefed about the recovery, as had local iwi.