Volunteer Department of Conservation worker dies in Mt Somers fall on first week in the role

Mount Somers track, Canterbury. Photo / 123RF

A volunteer Department of Conservation hut warden found dead near a rural Canterbury hut was in his first week in the role.

The 29-year-old loved being in the outdoors and was "really excited" about the opportunity, the department's eastern South Island operations' director, Andy Roberts, told Newstalk ZB.

"It's just a very, very sad situation."

Police said today the man was believed to have died in a fall near Pinnacles Hut at Mt Somers. The area is in the foothills of the Southern Alps, east of Ashburton.

The man, who was a warden at Woolshed Creek Hut, was reported overdue at 4.30pm yesterday and phone polling over the next few hours indicated the man's phone was at one location.

A helicopter was sent and the man's body found just before 10pm, police said.

"It appears that he had fallen near Pinnacles Hut."

Roberts said the man was not involved in hut-related duties when he died.

"It seems he was out for a walk, he was well off the track ... he's been up on the side of Mt Somers and fallen in a very bluffy area."

The man's death has been referred to the coroner, and the department would also investigate the circumstances, Roberts said.

Police have not yet released the man's name and Roberts did not want to say where the man was from without permission from his family, whom they plan to meet with this afternoon.

Colleagues of the man were "really upset", and being supported, as were those closest to the man, he said.

"It's his family and friends we really feel for at the moment ... we're looking to do what we can to support them."