Climber, 21, dies on Mt Aspiring

Mt Aspiring. Photo / Supplied

A 21-year-old student died after falling on Mt Aspiring near Wanaka early yesterday morning.

Eng Wu Ong was from Singapore but had been living in Melbourne, Constable Mike Johnston said.

Mr Johnston said police were alerted at 6.50am that a climber had fallen while ascending Mt Aspiring's South West Ridge.

He said Mr Ong had been climbing with a 20-year-old man.

Three members of the Wanaka Search and Rescue Alpine Cliff Rescue team recovered Mr Ong's body using a helicopter to access the steep terrain.

The two men were about 200m from the summit of the mountain when he "most likely" fell about 800m into a crevasse, Land SAR alpine cliff rescue team leader Gary Dickson said.

Mr Dickson, who was involved in the operation, said he understood the two men had been climbing "unroped" but that was not unusual.

"(However) it is more on the riskier end to climb through the gully itself unroped.

"You've got to make sure you do everything correctly and if you don't the consequences aren't great," he said.

Mr Dickson said the other man managed to make it to the summit for help and "by luck" met some other guided parties.

Mr Johnston said Wanaka Police were investigating the accident on behalf of the Coroner.

- NZ Herald staff, NZPA