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Body of NZ chopper victim recovered

May 23, 2006 - 3:29PM

Police have retrieved the body of an American tourist who fell 300 metres to his death shortly after stepping out of a helicopter in the Southern Alps on Monday afternoon.

Clifford Wayne Senter, 57, of New Hampshire, was killed when he tripped and fell down a steep bluff while chamois hunting in the Albert Burn area near Lois Peak in the Mount Aspiring National Park.

Wanaka Search and Rescue coordinator, Sergeant Aaron Nicholson, said Senter had been in New Zealand for the past week on a hunting holiday, with his wife and two friends.

They had intended to leave New Zealand on Tuesday to continue their holiday in Australia.

Senter, his friend and a local Wanaka hunting guide had left Wanaka by helicopter about 2.30pm on Monday.

They spotted chamois in the head of the valley, and the helicopter pilot landed on a small flat outcrop.

However, when Senter stepped out of the machine, he slipped on the wet ground and started to slide down the slope with no chance of holding his fall.

Low cloud and fog prevented a search and rescue team from reaching him on Monday night.

A recovery team was deployed first thing on Tuesday and located Senter at the base of the bluff in the afternoon.

It was clear that the fall was not survivable as he had sustained very serious head and body injuries, Nicholson said.

A post mortem examination would be carried out at the Dunedin Mortuary.

© 2006 AAP

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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