A Sydney man has died after he was buried in an avalanche while heli-skiing south of Queenstown in New Zealand, police say.
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Roger Greville, 58, was believed to be skiing with a group of five people in the Hector Mountains at Loch Linnhe, near Kingston, when the avalanche struck just after 2.30pm on Monday.
Mr Greville, an experienced skier, was buried in the snow.
New Zealand Police said Mr Greville was pulled from the "avalanche debris", but he could not be saved.
"The cause of his death is still unknown and has been referred to the coroner," New Zealand Police said in a statement early on Tuesday morning.
"A post-mortem is scheduled to occur this morning.
"Local police staff have been working closely with the Australian Embassy, and a number of Roger's family are due to arrive today."
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.
Mr Greville was on a guided heli-skiing trip with Southern Lakes Heliski when the avalanche occurred.
Southern Lakes Heliski director Jonathan Wallis said one of the company's pilots rang to report the emergency at 2.38pm.
"It was confirmed that one skier had been buried in snow. Emergency response procedures were activated immediately," Mr Wallis said in a statement.
"At 2.48pm we received confirmation that the skier had been located however, despite the considerable efforts of guides and paramedics, the skier was pronounced dead at the scene sometime later.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased."
According to the New Zealand Avalanche Centre, the avalanche risk in the area is moderate. On a scale of one to five, it is ranked as a two.
The centre's website warns: "Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern."
According to the Mountain Safety Council, Mr Greville's death is the fifth fatality as a result of an avalanche since 2005.
The last death was in 2013, and there were three fatalities in 2009, according to council data.
Although there were 19 avalanche events reported last year, no one was killed in any of those incidents.
The Otago Daily Times reported that Mr Greville's death came after two other people were hit by avalanches in the same area in the past week. One of those people was partially buried in the snow, but survived.
