Two pest control contractors who died in a helicopter crash north of Wellington last week have been formally named by police this evening.
They were Cole Christopher Ritchie, 25, from Wharepapa South, and Joseph Mark Keeley, 54, from Tauhara.
The pair were killed when their helicopter crashed near the Paekākāriki Hill area on the morning of Wednesday, January 28.
Police said the crash was reported through the activation of an automatic crash alert around 7.30am.
Ritchie and Keeley had been working on the Transmission Gully state highway corridor, the New Zealand Transport Agency told 1News in a statement.
“NZTA is providing support to all of those affected by the crash, and WorkSafe has been notified,” a spokesperson said.
Civil Aviation Authority investigators completed their preliminary scene examination on Thursday.
Police completed a scene examination at the site of the crash on Thursday, Inspector Renée Perkins said this evening.
The wreckage was removed on Friday.
Perkins thanked partner agencies who assisted in the response and recovery.
“Police, alongside the Civil Aviation Authority and Victim Support, continue to work together to support the families affected. Our sympathies remain with them at this incredibly difficult time,” Perkins said.