Trampers bodies flown out of ranges

Kevin Dalzell leads a Palmerston North Search and Rescue team yesterday during the hunt for Dr Bennington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The bodies of missing trampers, Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington and Marcella Jackson have been airlifted out of the Tararua Ranges by a commercial helicopter and flown to Palmerston North Hospital.

The pair, who had been missing for four days, were found dead today, about 1km short of the hut that they were heading to on Saturday.

Inspector Mark Harrison said Dr Bennington and Mrs Jackson were found dead at about ten minutes to 11 this morning.

He said early indications are that they had died from exposure.

Asked if the pair had fallen, Mr Harrison said that did not appear to be the case.

He said the conditions had been "atrocious" but Dr Bennington was an experienced tramper and well-equiped.

Police said the two bodies were found within 15 minutes of each other, about 300 metres apart.

Mr Harrison said the families of Mrs Jackson and Dr Bennington are being helped by Victim Support.

The deaths were confirmed at about 2pm this afternoon after Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson released a statement as a police press conference was beginning.

Mr Finlayson said Mr Bennington brought international experience and leadership to his role at Te Papa.

"He was well respected and will be sorely missed," Mr Finlayson said.

Te Papa acting chief executive and kaihautu Michelle Hippolite said tributes had flowed in today.

"We've been compiling those, and will also have a memorial area where we'll have a photograph and a condolence book that those who wish to leave their messages of sympathy and condolence can do that."

Mrs Jackson, 54, also from the Wellington area, was a long-standing family friend of 61-year-old Dr Bennington, police spokeswoman Kim Perks said.

The pair went into the ranges on Saturday and were last seen that afternoon by other trampers on the track above Field Hut.

Snow was waist-deep in some parts of the ranges, making searching difficult.

Fourteen police and civilian searchers had been combing the dense bush in rough weather, with some spending last night in the ranges.

An Air Force Iroquois helicopter was due to be flying another four teams into the area today.

The weather this morning "was not great", but a few fine breaks were forecast during the day, Ms Perks said.

All three huts along the track above Field Hut had been checked, but no sign of the pair was found.

Paul Brewer, a former marketing and communications director at Te Papa, said yesterday that Dr Bennington was an accomplished tramper, and went tramping often.

"He loves tramping and does it regularly, and yes I would say he is an experienced tramper," Mr Brewer said.

Dr Bennington joined Te Papa in January 2003 from the Carnegie Science Centre in Pittsburgh, United States, where he had been director since 1994.

He has a zoology PhD from the University of Canterbury and has also done university study in art history, anthropology, New Zealand history, and Maori studies.

He spent a year working with Volunteer Service Abroad in Western Samoa in 1966.

- NZ HERALD STAFF, NZPA