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.
The pair killed in the incident were an International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA)-qualified mountain guide and their client, the NZ Mountain Guides Association confirmed this afternoon.
Police said it was made aware that four climbers needed assistance on the west side of the mountain around 11.20pm.
“A helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wānaka and picked up the Wānaka 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. The pair – a mountain guide and their client – were brought down from the summit ridge ridge uninjured, the Mountain Guides Association said.
The pair 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 around 7am after the search resumed.
Walker this afternoon confirmed to 1News the bodies of the two climbers have now been recovered.
“At this stage we are working through the coronial jurisdiction, to identify and get the family’s loved ones home.”
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.
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