2LT International News

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Two men are dead following a major avalanche in the South Island of New Zealand on Wednesday morning.

A woman who was with the men managed to dig herself out of the snow and activate an emergency locator beacon. This was at about 6:00am on Wednesday. A rescue helicopter responded and was on the scene within an hour.

The woman who survived was later identified as Jo Morgan, the wife of prominent New Zealand businessman, economist, philanthropist and political figure, Gareth Morgan.

“There has clearly been a large avalanche come off Mt Hicks into Harper Saddle. She has done an amazing job extricating herself. She had her PLB right close to her body which has undoubtedly saved her life. I would have to say it’s a textbook recovery of getting out of an avalanche, and it’s just so sad for the other two,” Department of Conservation director-general Lou Sanson told The New Zealand Herald on Wednesday.

“Mt Hicks and Torres Peak were the last two of the 3000-ft peaks that she was trying to do, she has done 22,” he added.

“We’re just feeling shattered. The Department of Conservation staff have been so professional in how they responded this morning and really just got in there and done the job. But unfortunately it was too late to bring the other two out.”

Jo Morgan posted on Facebook that conditions had been bleak at Empress Hut the last couple of days but said a 20-hour weather window meant they were planning to leave for Mt Hicks at 2:00am on Wednesday.

Mt Hicks, where the avalanche occurred, at a height of 3,198 metres, is a mountain in the Southern Alps within the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Rescue teams and rescue helicopters raced to Mt Hicks on Wednesday morning after receiving the locator beacon signal, a Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand spokesman told The New Zealand Herald.

Two helicopters, eight alpine cliff rescue people and an avalanche dog were involved in the search party.

A helicopter with medical supplies was also flown in from Christchurch.

Mountain Safety Council spokesman Nick Kingstone said there was a lot of snow in the mountains, with considerable avalanche danger above 18-metres.

“Even on a low danger rating day, it doesn’t mean there’s no avalanche risk. It doesn’t actually take a lot of material or snow to sweep a person off their feet,” he said.

The New Zealand Herald reported more than 140 people have died in avalanches in New Zealand, since records began being kept in 1860.

One of the worst incidents occurred in August 1863 when a massive avalanche buried a camp of goldminers in Otago, killing 41 of them.

(File photo: Mt Cook Heliski)