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Three climbers missing for five days he New ZealandThe highest peak is now considered dead, authorities announced Friday.
The men, two Americans and a Canadian, were last seen on Saturday when they flew to a hut halfway up Mt Aoraki to begin the climb.
Kurt Blair, 56, of Colorado, and Carlos Romero, 50, of Californiaboth certified alpinist guides were joined by a Canadian climber whose identity has not been disclosed at the request of the family.
The group was reported missing on Monday after they failed to meet a pre-arranged transport.
An extensive search for the men began immediately, but in difficult weather conditions, including heavy rain and snow, efforts suspended a few days. Despite the challenging conditions, the search helicopter was able to locate climbing equipment, including a jacket and ice ax, as well as footprints on the slopes.
Police Inspector Vicki Walker spoke to the media on Friday, confirming that, based on evidence found, the climbers were believed to have fallen.
“After reviewing the number of days the climbers were missing, without communication, the items we recovered and our reconnaissance today, we do not believe the men survived,” she said.
“We believe they have fallen.”
The search, which included aerial surveys and ground searches, had previously been hampered by unstable weather and the movement of glaciers on the mountain.
Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, rises to 3,724m and is known for its crevasses and avalanche risk. The mountain has claimed more than 240 lives since the beginning of the 20th century.
Authorities said the search will only continue if new information comes to light, and the men’s deaths will now be referred to the coroner for further investigation.
“We all wanted this operation to be successful,” Inspector Walker remarked, expressing his appreciation for the efforts of the search teams.
Additional agency reporting.