The funeral for a wildlife officer who died on the job last week is scheduled for Tuesday in Port Saunders.

Howard Lavers drowned last Thursday when his snowmobile went through the ice on a pond while he was on patrol south of Hawke's Bay.

Mayor Tony Ryan of Port Saunders said arrangements have been made to move the Lavers funeral into a larger venue than a church.

"It looks like there's going to be so many people at this funeral they were making arrangements to have his funeral at French Shore Academy, here in Port Saunders, at the school, here in the gymnasium," said Ryan.

Lavers was well known in the area.