Body recovered in Swansea Channel 12 days after Luke Smith disappeared

Authorities have recovered the body of a man in a Lake Macquarie channel, 12 days after a young boatie disappeared when he was flung into the water as the vessel he was travelling in flipped.

Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie was part of the search for Luke Smith. (File picture)

Authorities have recovered the body of a man in Swansea Channel almost two weeks after boatie Luke Smith vanished after being thrown into the water when the tinny he was travelling in sunk in the same channel.

Police have confirmed the body was located in the channel, which feeds into Lake Macquarie, about noon on Thursday.

And although yet to be formally identified, the body is believed to belong to the 23-year-old.

It came 12 days after Luke, 23, was on the small boat with three friends when it overturned into the channel about 7.50pm on July 6.

His friends, two aged 23 and an aged 20, were plucked from the icy waters by fellow boaters but Luke disappeared.

An extensive air, land and water search continued through parts of Lake Macquarie and the coastline but failed to find any trace of the popular young man as a large contingent of family and friends held a vigil on the lake’s edge.

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