After nearly a month, the search for a missing man on Lake Hauroko, in Fiordland National Park, has been suspended indefinitely, police say.
Police had been looking for one person after a boat went missing with two people aboard on Lake Hauroko on May 31.
A woman's body was found the next day and the search for the missing man was delayed several times due to bad weather conditions at the lake.
Six members from the police national dive squad and four members from the Invercargill search and rescue team took part in the search operation last week but while the divers covered a large area of the lake it was made difficult by the lake's depth. At more than 460m, it is the country's deepest lake.
Search co-ordinator Sergeant Ian Martin, of Invercargill, said this was the main reason why the search had been discontinued.
''The divers had done what they could do but the lake got too deep to search further ... it had become unfeasible, really.''
Several items had been found during the searches, including clothing and cooking utensils believed to belong to the pair involved, in addition to debris.
Sgt Martin had previously said the pair had headed out on a camping trip on May 26.
The boat was reported missing five days later and their names were not written in the visitors book at Caroline Hut where they had been expected to visit.
He said police would formally release the names of the individuals involved in the near future.
The pair are believed to be Michael Goodson and Rosemary Spiewak, both parishioners of St Michael and All Angels in Christchurch.
St Michael and All Angels Vicar's Warden Michael Graveston previously said the pair, who were known to be good friends, were active members of the parish.
He said a relative of Mr Goodson had notified police the pair were overdue from their trip and were then reported missing.
Police said they would continue to assess any new information that came to light and would act accordingly.
