Two climbers have died in a fall while attempting to summit Aoraki Mount Cook last night.
According to the Timaru Herald, police said the group of four had been attempting the climb when two, connected by a rope, fell near the summit.
Police said it was made aware that four climbers needed assistance on the west side of the mountain at around 11.20pm.
“A helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wanaka and picked up the Wanaka Alpine Cliff Rescue Team, while a helicopter from Dunedin flew straight to the mountain and began searching,” Inspector Vicki Walker said in a statement.
The helicopter from Dunedin located two climbers from the group, who were airlifted off the mountain at around 2.15am. Both were uninjured and were being provided support.
Both helicopters conducted “extensive searches” for the two missing throughout the night. Despite calm and clear conditions, they were unsuccessful.
Their bodies were found at around 7am after the search resumed.
An operation to recover the climbers in the “challenging alpine environment” was underway.
“Police are working to contact next of kin, and until that process has been completed, details of the climbers will not be released,” Walker said.
It comes just days before the anniversary of the disappearance of three climbers from the US and Canada who went missing during an attempt at the summit.
A massive search effort was launched to find them, hampered by difficult conditions.
A number of items believed to belong to the men were found, but their bodies have not been located.
Aoraki Mount Cook is New Zealand’s highest peak at 3724m and is found in the Southern Alps
According to the New Zealand Alpine Club, Aoraki Mount Cook can be a technically challenging climb and is often underestimated.
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a New Zealander at the heart of an affair rocking British finance, a suspicious fire prompts safety warnings, and a returning rugby star’s black jersey ambition. (Source: Breakfast)