Tourist’s death on Arrowtown track probably due to hypothermia

Wai Ming Lai, who arrived in NZ in July, was meant to have left on October 18, but did not board his flight. Photo / Supplied

It’s likely an overseas tourist whose body was found on an Arrowtown walking track last month died from hypothermia.

Wai Ming Lai, 51, of Hong Kong, was found about a kilometre into the Sawpit Gully track by a member of the public at about 9.30am on October 22.

Since then, Queenstown police had worked tirelessly to ascertain his movements before his death. A silver hard-shell suitcase he was travelling with is still to be recovered.

Mr Lai, who arrived in New Zealand in July, was meant to have left on October 18, but did not board his flight.

His passport, found in a backpack he had with him at the time of his death, expired on October 26.

Police believe he had stayed at a backpackers in Queenstown for a week, before spending the week before his death in Wanaka, but it was still not clear when he arrived back in the resort, and there was no information on where he was staying.

Detective Senior Sergeant Malcolm Inglis, of Queenstown, said that was “the biggest blank we have”.

CCTV footage was still being gathered and reviewed to try to ascertain when he arrived in the village.

While there was “nothing suspicious” about his death, Det Snr Sgt Inglis said based on the preliminary results of the postmortem, it was likely he was out in the cold for some time.

Police were interested in hearing from anyone who may have seen Lai in the Arrowtown area on Friday, October 21.

Next of kin had now been contacted, and arrangements were being made to repatriate Lai’s body, Det Snr Sgt Inglis said.