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LATEST: A snowboarder caught in an avalanche near Coronet Peak skifield in the South Island this afternoon has died, following the tragic accident.
Police said the missing 30-year-old was located at around 7.15pm - more than two-and-a-half hours after the slip - and was given medical attention.
He was flown to the Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown, but has since been pronounced dead.
He was the second person to die in an avalanche in the South Island's mountains in just over a week.
The man, believed to be snowboarding at the time, is from the Queenstown area and close family members were with him at the time of the avalanche, which occurred at around 4.40pm.
Emergency services were altered just before 5pm. Alpine searchers were deployed to the area where the slip occurred, in a valley adjacent to the main near Coronet Peak skifield.
NZSki, which operates the skifield, said the avalanche happened outside its boundaries.
There had been several avalanches in the back country areas of Coronet Peak recently, spokeswoman Alexa Forbes told Radio New Zealand.
The death will be referred to the coroner, police said.
No further details would be released till other members of the family had been advised, police said.
On June 24 a large avalanche in the Southern Alps' Rugged Range killed an Australian heli-skier and temporarily buried two others
- The Press and NZPA
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Just Queenstown Key Sponsors
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