Helicopter crashes at New Zealand glacier, killing all seven on board

Earlier in the day a paramedic and members of an Alpine Rescue Team were winched down to the crash site but found no survivors.

It is believed two of the victims were Australians and four were from the United Kingdom, police said in a separate e-mailed statement.

Mr Northcote said an investigator was able to survey and photograph the wreckage this morning.

Inspector John Canning told Stuff: “I’m not going to risk any more lives, we’ve lost seven”.

Four British people were killed in a helicopter crash in New Zealand, Xinhua reported with the reference to the BBC report Saturday.

He said the region had been experiencing a bumper start to the Southern Hemisphere tourist season, but bad weather had been putting pressure on a few tour operators.

The glacier is in a remote area near the thinly populated island’s west coast, and recovery of the bodies could take days, police said.

The chopper that crashed is considered to be a Eurocopter “Squirrel” managed by local business Alpine Adventures.

Rescue crew board a helicopter to head to the Fox Glacier crash site.

Police said they are liaising for embassies to contact next of kin and will recover the bodies tomorrow.

There was cloud and rain in the area where the crash occurred, MetService said.

“Hopefully there are a few breaks in between where they can make progress – but at this stage it’s really slow”.

A spokesman for the Transport Accident Investigation Commission says four investigators are heading to the scene and the first will arrive late on Saturday afternoon.

Reports in New Zealand said Mr Gameren was believed to be an experienced flyer.

He said the glaciers in recent years have been retreating and the only way to view them up close was by helicopter.

All six passengers and pilot Mitch Gameren were killed when the aircraft crashed into rugged and heavily crevassed terrain on the glacier yesterday morning.

The deceased have not yet been identified, and efforts to recover the dead bodies have been stalled as a result of the weather. Rob Jewell, chairman of the Glacier Country Tourism Group, said the local community was shocked at the crash and their thoughts were with the families of those who died.