Source: New Zealand Police
Two climbers missing on Aoraki/Mount Cook are not believed to be alive, after search teams found evidence they had been caught a large ice avalanche.
The men set off on Friday 12 December from the Tasman Valley car park for Plateau Hut. They then departed the hut on the evening of Saturday 13 December with the intention of summitting Aoraki Mount Cook, via the Linda Glacier route.
The Department of Conservation were made aware that the pair had not returned to Plateau Hut on Monday morning.
Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said search and rescue efforts spanned three days, when weather allowed.
“Once a weather window appeared, the Department of Conservation Search and Rescue team, supported by The Helicopter Line (THL) and New Zealand Police, were able to conduct a search of the mountain.
“The first opportunity for an aerial search occurred late Tuesday evening, however they were not located, however because they noted their intentions, it drastically narrowed the area we had to search.”
“On Wednesday, search teams utilised a RECCO SAR detector, suspended under a THL helicopter.
With the aid of the detector and Search and Rescue staff, we were able to identify a key area of interest and located some items of climbing equipment,” Inspector Walker said.
“A visual investigation of this area has led to the determination that the overdue climbers have been caught in a significant ice avalanche within a known icefall hazard zone on the upper Linda Glacier.
“Because of the scale and volume of material involved, we don’t believe this avalanche was survivable.”
Department of Conservation Aoraki/Mount Cook Operations Manager Sally Jones says the area remains too unstable for ground crews to access, or for a recovery operation to be attempted.
“This is a tragic outcome, and our thoughts are with the climbers’ family and friends.
“The Linda Glacier is an unforgiving alpine environment. Conditions can change rapidly, and even highly experienced climbers are exposed to unexpected hazards including icefall, crevasses, avalanches, and extreme weather.
“Aoraki is a place of immense beauty and significance, but it also can be extremely brutal in terms of what it can throw at those who attempt to climb it.”
While aerial reconnisance had not been able to pinpoint where the bodies of the climbers might be, Inspector Walker said Police would consider a recovery operation if warmer weather allows.
“Sadly, for now, we can’t reach them and they lie in rest on the maunga, and our sympathy is with their whānau.”
About the RECCO SAR detector
Smaller handheld RECCO detectors have been located in New Zealand for quite some time but recently two RECCO SAR Helicopter Detectors have been provided by RECCO, one of which is located in Canterbury. The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector is a system that can help search-and-rescue teams find RECCO-equipped hikers and other outdoor users by scanning large areas of ground quickly.
For anyone venturing out in the outdoors it is essential to have a way of communicating your location and intentions with someone who can advise emergency services if you become overdue. Devices such as Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and Garmin InReach devices with SOS functions can achieve this.
RECCO reflectors provide an additional way rescuers can find missing or overdue persons quickly without being activated. Avalanche Transceivers should always be carried when travelling into an alpine environment.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
