A chartered boat arrived at Blue Cod Bay to begin the operation just before 9am. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
A detective has told a Coroner's hearing that John Beckenridge was in a dire financial position at the time he went missing with his step-son, Mike.
The 64-year-old man and the 11-year-old boy disappeared in March 2015, and the hearing is being held to work out if they are missing, or dead.
Anna Sargent was at the hearing.
