Hypothermia suspected as cause of Tararua trampers' deaths

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

The ranges can still be very inhospitable in summer if the weather packs up. Two trampers died recently in Tararua Forest Park.

The death of two trampers in the Tararua range was most likely from hypothermia and should serve as a reminder for trampers to be prepared even in warmer months, police say.

Wairarapa area commander Inspector Donna Howard said the deaths of Pavel Pazniak, of Auckland, and Michael Stepura, of Lower Hutt, who were found on a ridge on November 21, had been referred to the coroner to determine cause of death.

Michael Stepura, of Lower Hutt, was one of the two trampers who died in the Tararua range recently.

But autopsies and other investigations since the bodies of the two men were discovered supported the initial assessment that the pair had succumbed to hypothermia, she said.

'Weather conditions experienced at the time have also been confirmed as being extreme, with very strong winds and rain in exposed areas.'

* Trampers may have been outside for two nights**

Both men worked for Xero. Stepura, 39, was originally from Ukraine, and 32-year-old Pazniak, known as Paul, was originally from Belarus.

They were headed on an overnight tramp to Alpha Hut from the Waiohine Gorge campsite on Saturday morning, but there was no evidence they made it there. It was believed they had been outside for at least two days.

According to a Greater Wellington Regional Council environmental recording station nearby at Tauherenikau, wind speeds reached up to 100kmh on the evening of Saturday, November 19, and temperatures dropped down to 4 degrees Celsius in the early hours of Sunday.

Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said it worked with police and the coroner's office to find out what had gone wrong in such incidents, and try to get prevention messages out to the public.

'It's been a real tragedy. We do offer our condolences to the families when we see incidents like this, because any fatality in the outdoors is a real tragedy. This is an absolute extreme of what can happen when the weather does change suddenly.

'We've got this perception that there's some good weather around and there is a lot of participation of people going out in to the outdoors this time of year, but as spring is turning into summer, typically we have very changeable weather and that can catch people out,' Daisley said.

Quick tips to remember are: be prepared, plan carefully, know your limitations, dress appropriately – several layers is essential, take sufficient supplies and let someone know the route you are taking and when you expect to be back. The Mountain Safety Council has a range of information on its website www.mountainsafety.org.nz.