An Irish climber fell to his death while descending a steep slope in New Zealand's Southern Alps yesterday.
It is thought that Mr Donal Deery (29) from Belfast, who was hiking with a female companion at the time, slipped on a snow-covered incline called Cascade Saddle in Mount Aspiring National Park on the South Island. Mr Deery fell about 800 feet into a drainage area near the town of Wanaka.
The woman, who is also Irish, was hurt in the accident. She was flown by helicopter to Dunedin Hospital, about 100 miles east, but her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Mr Deery was the third person to die in that part of the mountain range in the last 10 days, according to local police.
Wanaka Police said last night that bad weather was preventing rescue workers from recovering Mr Deery's body. It may be two or three days before the Alpine Cliff Rescue Team can access the body which is in a remote area.
The Department of Foreign Affairs refused to comment on the incident except to say that it was aware of it, and that it had been in touch with its honorary consul in New Zealand.
"It was quite gusty, so we could not drop in. Specialised climbers climbed down, and had to carry the woman back up the face," said a spokesman for the local ambulance services.
On Tuesday, a 28-year-old German climber fell 100 metres to his death on a face known as The Ramp, and last week a 22-year-old Australian was killed instantly when he fell 50 metres into a crevasse on the Bonar Glacier when descending The Ramp.
Constable Andy Ferguson, of Wanaka, said the German - who was an experienced climber - had reached the summit of the mountain about two hours earlier with his climbing companion, a New Zealander.
It is thought the German slipped on melting snow, and fell to the bottom of The Ramp.
The area where the accidents took place is a picturesque, lake district popular with holiday-makers, backpackers and experienced climbers. Two New Zealanders were killed near the same spot in April last year.