Search and rescue crews have recovered the body of a 27-year-old from New Zealand who was reported missing while on a bushwalk in Tasmania’s far south.
The man is believed to have fallen from a height in the vicinity of Federation Peak in the Eastern Arthur Range in Tasmania’s south-west.
Inspector Colin Riley said the man, who had moved to Melbourne and was not an Australian as they had previously believed, had been planning to finish the walk over the weekend after setting off from the Huon River Campground last Tuesday.
“Initial checks were undertaken on Monday afternoon, before a search operation involving multiple ground crews and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was launched yesterday morning,” he said.
“Sadly, the man’s body was located by a search crew about 10am today, near Federation Peak.”
Emergency services were led to his location after one of five teams on the ground came upon a beanie, gloves and a backpack cover.
Riley said the man’s body was then located just off a cliff face on one of the approaches to Federation Peak.
“It was a significant fall and a very hazardous, dangerous area. At this stage the searchers haven’t been able to physically go to the walker,” he said.
“The retrieval of the man will require both ground and aerial resources and it is expected to take some days for emergency service personnel to safely undertake this due to the terrain and weather conditions.”
100km/h wind gusts mean the next available opportunity to carry out the recovery operation will be on Friday or Sunday.
More on this story: ‘Critical day’ for search crews as they race to find missing bushwalker in Tasmania
“His partner’s here, his brother’s flown in today. They’re obviously distressed at the news but they get some solace in the fact that he was out doing what he enjoyed doing,” Riley said.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
