A 23-year-old Canberra skier, believed to have died after going missing on Saturday, has been identified as Andrew Seton.
Police announced they had discovered a body while searching for Mr Seton in the Snowy Mountains on Tuesday afternoon.
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 Mr Seton, 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 Mr Seton's car at a carpark 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 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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Hannah Neale
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT. Twitter: @neale_hannah
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT. Twitter: @neale_hannah
Peter Brewer
Telling the truth and holding agencies accountable must matter to us all. It's also important to tell the story well, and factually. Contact me at peter.brewer@canberratimes.com.au
Telling the truth and holding agencies accountable must matter to us all. It's also important to tell the story well, and factually. Contact me at peter.brewer@canberratimes.com.au
Soofia Tariq
Soofia joined the Canberra Times in 2022 as the cadet. 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 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
