McAuley was attempting to become the first man to cross the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand back in February. He was expected to reach land on Feb. 10th, but on the 9th he sent a distress signal. The next day his kayak was found, but his body is still missing.
A camera found on board the kayak shows McAuley at various stages of the expedition, including the photo I've linked to here. One of the last images were of the high peaks of the South Island, which surely gave him hope that he was nearing the end of his journey. It's sad that he came up that short, and didn't quite make it, but he also went out living an adventure, and doing one of the things he loved best. Andrew's website http://www.andrewmcauley.com/ National Geographic "Solo, Lost at sea"
