Police have recovered the bodies of an internationally recognised mountain guide and their client who died in an overnight fall on Aoraki Mt Cook.
Police said four people were attempting to summit the mountain on Monday night, when two of them fell near the summit.
The New Zealand Mountain Guides Association said the party - two guides and their two clients - were completing a grand traverse of the mountain.
They were roped together in pairs, climbing from Empress Hut to the summit when the two fell from the mountain's west ridge.
Canterbury Aoraki area commander inspector Vicki Walker said their bodies were found about 4.30am and had since been recovered from the mountain with the help of the Department of Conservation.
"We're working under the jurisdiction of the coroner to return them to their loved ones. Police are contacting the next of kin. Until that process has been completed we won't be releasing any further information," she said.
NZMGA President Anna Keeling said the guide, who is yet to be formally named by police, was a respected and valued member of the NZMGA.
“They were an integral part of our guiding community,” she said.
“NZMGA’s focus is now on those most affected, and our priority is supporting the family, including their partner and children, as well as our wider guiding community during this extremely difficult time.”
Police earlier said they were made aware of the incident on the west side of the mountain at about 11.20pm.
Inspector Walker said two helicopters were dispatched.
A helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wānaka and picked up the Aoraki Doc search and rescue team, while a helicopter from Dunedin flew straight to the mountain and began searching.
"The helicopter from Dunedin located two climbers in the group, who were airlifted from the mountain at around 2.15am," Insp Walker said.
Helicopters Otago chief pilot Kevin Gale confirmed two of its rescue helicopters, one from Dunedin and one from Queenstown, were involved in the operation.
Alpine cliff rescue specialists were on board and the Dunedin crew rescued two people from Aoraki Mt Cook, Mr Gale said.
The two climbers who were airlifted last night were uninjured and support is being provided.
- Allied Media/additional reporting RNZ
