KEY POINTS:
A lucky break literally saved the life of a Japanese climber whose two companions plunged about 500m to their deaths on Mt Cook last night.
The bodies of a 53-year-old man and a 31-year old woman were recovered this morning after they fell onto the Upper Linda Glacier while descending the mountain about 9pm yesterday.
Police tonight released the names of the two climbers.
They were Takao Futono, 52, and woman friend Meguru Inoue, 31.
Rescuers said the woman climber had apparently begun abseiling, with her two companions above her, when the rock all three were anchored to gave way.
A falling rock sliced off the 28-year-old survivor's strap, separating him from his companions and saving him from being pulled down with them.
He descended immediately to call for help, reaching the Plateau Hut about 1am.
Members of the Department of Conservation (DOC) alpine rescue team located the two bodies on the Upper Linda Ice Shelf at an altitude of about 3500m this morning.
They were taken to Mt Cook village and removed to Timaru for post mortem examinations.
DOC Aoraki area manager Ross Campbell told NZPA the surviving climber had been incredibly lucky to have been separated from his companions as they fell.
"It was very fortunate," he said.
"He could easily have gone with his two friends."
Mr Campbell said he understood the rock the climbers had been anchored to had failed.
The geography of the Southern Alps was "relatively young landfall" comprising mainly greywacke, which he said wasn't the most solid of rocks.
"Having said that, there is solid rock up there and climbers need to make a judgment call as to what they attach to," Mr Campbell said.
Police completed their investigation into the tragedy this afternoon and Mr Campbell said he understood the climbers' bodies had been taken to Timaru.
He said he was "very proud" of the rescue team's efforts in recovering the bodies during a long and arduous mission.
"They're trained professionals and everything went like clockwork," Mr Campbell said.
Constable Carl Pedersen, of Twizel police, said the survivor was traumatised by the loss of his companions.
The three climbers were members of a Japanese mountaineering club and had known each other for about four years.
Police said the identities of the climbers would not be released until next of kin in Japan had been informed.
- NZPA
