The bodies of two climbers, including one from the United States, have been recovered after they fell to their deaths while attempting to summit New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook (Aoraki), police confirmed on Wednesday.
The victims were part of a four-member group consisting of two New Zealand-based guides and two clients. The incident occurred late Monday when the climbers fell from a ridge onto the west side of the 3,724-metre (12,218 ft) mountain. Authorities have not released the names of the deceased.
Police were alerted to the accident at around 11:20 p.m. local time (10:20 GMT) on Monday. A search and rescue team located the other two members of the group uninjured in the early hours of Tuesday. Helicopters continued searching overnight and discovered the two missing climbers deceased at 7 a.m., with their bodies recovered around midday.
“We can now begin the process of returning these men to their families,” said Canterbury Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker. “I want to thank all of those involved in the rescue and recovery. It has been a difficult period, most of all for the families of the two climbers and the wider community.”
Inspector Walker confirmed that one of the climbers was a U.S. national. The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council stated that one of the deceased was an internationally qualified mountain guide and “a respected and valued member of the guiding community,” while the other was his client.
Search and Rescue pilot Nigel Gee told local media that the climbers were connected by a rope when they slipped, falling approximately 1,500 feet.
Mount Cook has long been considered a dangerous peak, with dozens of climbers dying over the past century due to rockfalls and frequent avalanches at higher altitudes. Many more have lost their lives in the surrounding national park, known for its rugged mountains and glaciers.
