Missing pilot presumed dead after chopper crash
A well-known pilot and tourism figure whose helicopter crashed at Lake Wanaka is presumed dead and the search is now focused on recovery, police say.
Matthew Wallis, the son of aviation pioneer and Warbirds Over Wanaka air show founder Sir Tim Wallis and his wife Lady Prue, went down after leaving Wanaka Airport on a short solo flight to Mt Aspiring National Park on Saturday.
An oil slick was spotted a kilometre north of Stevensons Island, in the south-east corner of the Otago lake, and wreckage has been found on the island’s shoreline. Search and rescue teams have not yet located anyone.
Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw told media yesterday that search efforts had now entered a recovery phase for the 39-yearold.
‘‘He’s a well-known local from Wanaka, his family are an integral part of the community and the crash has hit the Wanaka community, the aviation community and the high country community very hard.’’
He said Wallis’ family had offered assistance to help with the search.
‘‘The family are having to cope with the loss of their brother and son and they did a fantastic job under trying circumstances, which we’re grateful for,’’ Shaw said.
‘‘They supplied us with the break we needed to try resolve this search ... now they can get on with their grieving and look after themselves.’’
Alpine Helicopters – a company run by two of his brothers – said in a statement that Wallis left the base at 12.54pm on a private flight from Wanaka to drop off supplies at a lodge in the national park.
The flight was expected to take 15 minutes but at 1.08pm, the helicopter was unable to be reached by radio.
Shortly after two of the company’s other helicopters were sent to search for the missing aircraft and pilot.
Shaw said there were three vessels out searching with the support of the dive team, with rescue volunteers searching the island and shoreline of Lake Wanaka.
There were fears their efforts could have been hampered by bad weather. Conditions in Wanaka had deteriorated yesterday afternoon, as showers turned to heavy rain that was not expected to ease off until today.
‘‘He’s a wellknown local from Wanaka, his family are an integral part of the community...
Derek Shaw