Body yet to be identified

Police are yet to identify the body of a person found near Kāpiti Island on Wednesday afternoon. The Police Maritime Unit and National Dive Squad recovered the body from the water near the southern end of the island about 1.30pm on Wednesday. In a statement released yesterday, a police spokesperson said they were continuing efforts to identify the deceased person. ‘‘The identification process is complex and is expected to take some time,’’ the spokesperson said. ‘‘Police acknowledge there is significant interest in this matter. However, until the identification process has been completed, there is little further comment or detail we can provide.’’ Iwi representatives from Ngāti Toa, Te Atiawa ki Kāpiti and Ngāti Raukawa ki TeTonga conducted a blessing of the area yesterday. A rāhui has been placed on Kāpiti Island for seven days, prohibiting the collection of fish and shellfish around the island during this period. Police have asked members of the public to respect the rāhui.