Police have discovered a body while searching for a 23-year-old missing Canberra skier in the Snowy Mountains.
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NSW Police said officers aboard the PolAir helicopter spotted a person in a remote area of Watsons Crags on Monday afternoon however, due to steep terrain and hazardous weather conditions, both PolAir and another emergency service helicopter were unable to land or use winching capabilities.
The operation was suspended for the day and resumed on Tuesday, with the arrival of PolAir carrying specialist police trained in alpine rescue.
The officers were winched down to the ground, where the body of a man was located.
The operation continues to retrieve the body. While it is believed to be the body of the missing skier, he is yet to be formally identified.
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
The 23-year-old man last made contact on Saturday morning with his family about 10am, sending photos and "showing him in good spirits and in the snow".
He told them he planned to ski the back country of Kosciuszko National Park.
The alarm was raised when he failed to return. Police found the man's car at a car park in Guthega late on Saturday.
A search involving specialist police from the Alpine Operations Unit, State Emergency Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service was suspended on Monday due to low visibility as sunset approached.
A police spokesman said on Tuesday morning that the search would continue and "following yesterday's coordinated aerial and ground search, there is an area of interest that we are focusing today's operation on".
"However, due to the terrain and weather conditions, we are not in a position to confirm further information until specialist police attend the site on the ground today."
The man's family has been kept updated on the search however police have not released his name and are unable to confirm any further information about the 23-year-old.
The experienced cross-country skier was believed to be carrying a personal locator beacon, limited day supplies and adequate equipment for back-country conditions.
An SES spokesman said they were assisting police, who had four Ski-Doo snowmobiles that were being used by members of the Alpine Search and Rescue team.
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Soofia Tariq
Soofia joined the Canberra Times in 2022 as the cadet. She is now a general news reporter, covering everything from local stories to ACT and federal politics. She previously interned and was an audio producer at The Guardian Australia. She has also worked at 2SER Radio and City Hub Sydney. Her email is soofia.tariq@canberratimes.com.au
Soofia joined the Canberra Times in 2022 as the cadet. She is now a general news reporter, covering everything from local stories to ACT and federal politics. She previously interned and was an audio producer at The Guardian Australia. She has also worked at 2SER Radio and City Hub Sydney. Her email is soofia.tariq@canberratimes.com.au
