Female tramper reported overdue in Mt Aspiring National Park

Monday, 10 February 2020

The Makarora River in Central Otago. (File photo)

Police are looking for another overdue tramper in the same area where the bodies of two trampers were found at the weekend.

A woman tramping in Mt Aspiring National Park was reported missing at 8.45am on Monday after she failed to show up at an appointment.

'There is now a third person who is overdue – this is unrelated to the first two and they were only reported missing this morning,' a police spokeswoman said.

'At this stage police are making enquiries to narrow down a more specific location.'

* Police find second body in as many days in Mount Aspiring National Park

* Tramper found after search and rescue team called out in rural Otago

* Woman dead after fall in Mt Aspiring National Park**

A spokeswoman said police were not in a position to release the names of two trampers found in the Makarora River, in Mt Aspiring National Park on Friday and Saturday.

The first body was found in Central Otago's Makarora River on Friday about 5.15pm. Another body was discovered about 12.30pm on Saturday in the same area by a member of the public, who notified police.

They had been tramping in the Mount Aspiring National Park.

Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said enough was not yet known about the circumstances of their deaths, however they were in an area that had seen 'extraordinary weather' recently and experienced a lot of flooding.

'We don't yet know exactly what happened to them, but we do know rivers can be dangerous. We want to share information for others to help them stay safe around swollen rivers.'

River crossings were the second highest direct cause of tramper fatalities, Daisley said.

Of 65 tramping fatalities between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2019, 12 were river crossing drownings, he said.

'Westland and Queenstown Lakes District each have had three river crossing fatalities, the top locations in the country.'

River-crossing fatalities in the Queenstown Lakes region include:

* April 2015 – Allison Willen, 20, who died on the Gillespie Pass Circuit, Mt Aspiring.

* January 2015 – Scott Oliver, 42, who died on the Wilkin Valley Track, Mt Aspiring.

* December 2008 – Irina Yun, 36, who died on Cascade Saddle Track by Dart River, Mt Aspiring.

Westland fatalities include:

* April 2017 – Intoxication was a factor. Taipo River, south of Julia Hut

* December 2011 – Poi Moy Tan, 31 and Yu Ling Chen, 28, who died on Roberts Point Track, Franz Joseph.

Daisley said there were two common sayings people should consider when approaching a river: ''stop before you cross' and 'if in doubt, stay out'.'

The last known river crossing drowning tramping fatality occurred in April 2017, however intoxication was a factor and few details were known about the exact contributing factors, he said.

Prior to that, January 2016 was the last time a tramper had been killed while attempting to cross a river.