Alpine Guides has confirmed one of its heli-skiing guides died after an avalanche in the Southern Alps.
Police have named him as 38-year-old Brett Evans of Staveley, Ashburton District.
General manager Arthur McBride said the avalanche occurred on Pito Peak in the South Ashburton Range during a guided day with Methven Heliski about noon on Wednesday.
The guide leading the group was buried by the avalanche and was extracted, but did not survive.
The other skiers were not hurt.
McBride said Evans was a “much-loved friend and colleague”, and their thoughts were with his family and friends at this time.
WorkSafe is investigating.
The NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) said it was devastated to learn of the guide’s death.
Council chief executive Mike Daisley said the alpine community in Aotearoa was small and tight-knit and the loss would be felt strongly by many, including its own team.
The [avalanche.net.nz NZ Avalanche Advisory], which is owned and operated by MSC, issues advisories for 13 alpine regions. It does not include the area where the man died.
Daisley said these advisories were for public recreation only, not commercial operators – who had their own audited safety management systems.
These operations, such as the guided heli-ski trip yesterday, were undertaken by teams of backcountry avalanche professionals.
The 13 regions covered by the NZ Avalanche Advisory cover large areas and provide guidance for the public travelling in the backcountry.
However, individuals and groups were required to make their own assessment of avalanche conditions, such as the snowpack and terrain decisions, based on their specific location and the weather on the day.
It is currently forecasting a high avalanche risk at Arthur’s Pass, Aoraki/Mt Cook, Wānaka, Fiordland and Aspiring – with very dangerous avalanche conditions and travel in avalanche terrain not recommended.
There have been several deaths of heli-skiing guides and skiers over the years.
In August 2015, Roger Greville died after being buried by an avalanche near the Devil’s Staircase, in the Kingston area. The 58-year-old Australian man had been on a trip with Southern Lakes Heliski.
In 2009, an Australian skier and a guide working for Alpine Guides were killed in two seperate avalanches in the Ragged Range, inland from Ashburton.
Llynden Riethmuller, 61, died in an avalanche while heli-skiing with a group on 24 July.
One of the guides on that trip, Jonathan Morgan, 38, died after being caught in an avalanche in the same area during another heli-skiing trip, three weeks later.
The company said at the time that the two deaths within a month were the first avalanche fatalities the company had in 21 years.
rnz.co.nz