Climber's remains identified

The remains of a climber recovered from high on Mt Cook this week have been identified.

South Canterbury police district commander Inspector Dave Gaskin confirmed today the remains were those of a Wellington man, David Cooke, 40.

Mr Cooke went missing during a tramp from Godley Hut to Sealy Pass -- a high altitude pass between the Whataroa River and the Godley River.

Parts of Mr Cooke's body were first found by two climbers in Mt Cook National Park in February 2001. His initials were found on an ice axe found with his remains at the time.

Mr Gaskin said the rest of Mr Cooke's remains were recovered by police and Department of Conservation staff from a site in Sealy Pass on Tuesday and taken to Timaru for identification.

They had been positively identified yesterday from clothing matches and the site's proximity to the earlier discovery.

A coroner's inquest into Mr Cooke's death has already been held.

More than 200 climbers have lost their lives on Mt Cook/Aorangi since 1914.

- NZPA