The helicopter pilot, former Alexandra man Antony Annan (49), and his colleagues at charter company Hevilift, Australians Russell Aitken (42) and Emmett Fynn (36), were found dead in the wreck of their Bell 206 helicopter near the Purari River around 3pm yesterday.
"We've been waiting and hoping that they might be OK ... and you hope that maybe, somehow they'd survived ... but now we've been told that all three are gone," said Mr Annan's brother-in-law, Ken Lloyd, of Alexandra.
"Our only consolation is that their bodies have been found ... finding them was important to us.
"It's been a very long and very hard week and we're grateful to those involved in the search who have been working on it all week."
Mr Annan's brother, Matthew, had also pursued a career in flying and died in a top-dressing plane crash in Australia in 1998, aged 28.
Antony Annan was based in Australia with his partner and had worked for Hevilift for more than 10 years.
He worked for Helicopters Otago before heading overseas.
Its managing director, Graeme Gale, described him as a "great guy and a great pilot".
"Something's gone catastrophically wrong for them to have this tragic outcome.
"It's everyone's worst nightmare ... when they are missing, you hope for the best, hope that they'll pop up somewhere having survived the crash and never give up hoping until this moment arrives, and suddenly, your worst fears are realised."
Mr Gale said his thoughts were with Mr Annan's family and the pilots who had been searching all week.
"It's just a terribly tragic outcome, and you really feel for them all - for the families back in New Zealand and those guys who are over there, flying for Hevilift, who have been searching for them, it's tough on them, too." Central Otago Flying Club president Russell Anderson knew Mr Annan from his school days.
"Alexandra's a small town and everyone knows the Annan family and are thinking of them. The family's been through a tragedy like this once before and now they're going through it twice.
"It will have been a harrowing day for them, and I guess the only positive thing is that at least the wreckage and bodies have been found and the families have that finality.
But because of that, there will be a million questions that will need answered, too," Mr Anderson said.
Hevilift managing director Paul Booij said the deaths were devastating.
"Unfortunately, our worst fears were realised this morning. This is a harrowing time for everyone."
The helicopter was reported missing about 4.30pm last Friday.
The first sign of wreckage was found on Thursday, when villagers discovered pieces of plastic from a "fly-away kit" in a stream.
A helicopter tailboom was seen from the air yesterday morning and search teams found the main wreckage about six hours later.
There was low cloud and reduced visibility at the time of the crash and the pilots had been flying on sight rather than instruments.
Seven helicopters were involved in the search for the missing men.
- Additional reporting by APNZ.
