Two men who disappeared after their boat capsized more than 12 years ago are deemed to have died, a Wellington coroner has ruled.
Jack Webber, 49, and Hamish Kronfeld, 35, tried to swim to a nearby island when their boat capsized off the Kapiti Coast in 1999. Their bodies have never been found.
Two other men clung to the boat and were rescued.
In findings released on Wednesday, coroner Gary Evans declared both Mr Webber and Mr Kronfeld to have died, saying they could not have survived in the sea conditions at the time.
The boat had no marine radio, flares, lifejackets or any other emergency equipment on board.
Mr Evans is recommending that Maritime New Zealand consider whether communication devices should be compulsory on recreational boats.
