Tragic details have surfaced about the Australian couple who tragically died alongside five other people when the helicopter they were flying in crashed onto an ice glacier.
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“He (Mr Charlton) was very generous, very loving”.
“We are waiting for a substantial break in the weather to get back on the glacier and systematically work through what is a highly technical recovery operation”. “But people make their decisions and they will still choose to travel”.
Police said they were liaising with embassies to contact next of kin and would attempt to recover the bodies on Sunday.
The seven victims were: Pilot Mitchell Paul Gameren of Queenstown, 28, Andrew Virco of Cambridge in England, 50, Katharine Walker of Cambridge in England, 51, Nigel Edwin Charlton of Hampshire, 66, Cynthia Charlton of Hampshire, 70, Sovannmony Leang of New South Wales, 27, and Josephine Gibson of New South Wales, 29.
She was the head of radiotherapy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where a spokesman said: “Everyone at the hospital is devastated by the news and our thoughts go out to Kath’s family at this very sad time”.
Bray said the family was hoping the bodies of all seven on board would be recovered today.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was saddened to learn of the suspected deaths of two Australians.
Alpine Cliff Rescue team leader Marius Bron described working on the fragile ice on the glacier as like working on “popcorn”.
Four choppers responded to the crash site on Fox Glacier on Saturday and one paramedic and a rescuer were winched down to the scene.
Transport Accident Investigation Commission spokesman Peter Northcote said the wreckage was in crevassed and snow-covered terrain, presenting safety and access challenges.
Inspector John Canning said: “The site is near the top of the glacier, it’s all ice, it’s not level and there are blocks of ice as big as buildings with crevasses between them”.
The crash site was reached by saving teams in helicopters but found no indication of survivors, rescue coordinators said.
Emergency services were alerted to the crash by the operator just before 11am and four rescue helicopters were dispatched. He said operators offer different packages, and a basic trip typically involves a 10-minute flight to the top of the glacier, where tourists can walk around for about a half-hour before returning.
Alpine Adventures’ website says it has been in business for around 30 years and runs “an impressive fleet of modern turbine helicopters”.
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Seven people on board a helicopter that crashed on a scenic glacier in New Zealand have been killed in the accident, according to authorities. Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn said the weather conditions on New Zealand’s South Island were “terrible”.
