Fog hampers attempts to retrieve tourist's body
23 May 2006
Fog this morning delayed alpine rescue efforts to retrieve the body of an American tourist who fell 300m to his death after stepping out of a helicopter and plummeting down a steep bluff in the Southern Alps.
Wanaka Detective Derek Shaw an initial check by staff this morning decided it was too foggy to send out a rescue team.
Checks would continue to be made every half hour to evaluate whether it was safe to proceed,
The middle-aged man was one of three hunters in a helicopter, which landed about 3pm on a ridge at Albert Burn, about 7km south of the head of Lake Wanaka, yesterday afternoon.
One person had already jumped out of the helicopter, when the American stepped down and somehow slipped and fell over the bluff.
The pilot immediately flew down to where the man had fallen but was unable to land.
However, those on board could clearly see the man was dead.
An alpine rescue team, including one police officer, flew to the area yesterday in an attempt to retrieve the body, but bad weather stopped them from landing.
Mr Shaw said the dead man's family had wanted to contact their family in the United States about the death and had asked for no further assistance from the police.