Heliskier Dies in Avalanche in New Zealand
25th September 2024
The accident happened in Arrowsmith, a remote area in the Southern Alps range. There have been numerous avalanches in recent days after heavy snow. NEW
A group was heliskiing on the mountain when the avalanche struck in an area south of Mt Arrowsmith.
The accident scene is 46kms west of the ski resort of Mt Hutt and 130kms west of Christchurch.
A police spokesperson confirmed one person had died.
“One person was trapped in the avalanche and was in a critical condition when recovered at around 1pm. Tragically they died a short time later,” said the rescue services.
The rest of the group survived.
The Avalanche Advisory, owned and operated by the Mountain Safety Council, issues avalanche advisories for the public in 13 alpine regions, but not the Arrowsmith area.
There are no further details at present.
Next-of- kin are being informed and an investigation is underway.
There have been a number of avalanches in the ski areas on the South Island.
One person was buried in an avalanche near Treble Cone ski area.
The NZ Avalanche Authority said a group of five people were in the back country area known as ‘the Gotleibs’ when one person was buried by an avalanche.
“Fortunately, the group, who were trained in avalanche rescue techniques, managed to extricate the victim within five minutes, preventing further injury,” said a spokesperson.
The NZ Avalanche Authority says there have been numerous avalanches in recent days.
There remains a ‘considerable’ risk of avalanche in the area with the warning grade at Level 3.
