Police officers on guard near the scene of the crash. Photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
Police say two people have died in a helicopter crash near Wellington today.
Emergency services were called to a helicopter crash in the Paekākāriki Hill area, north of Wellington, by an automated crash alert at 7.30am.
Inspector Renée Perkins said both the pilot and sole passenger were found deceased following the crash.
She said police were working to remove the bodies from the area and cordons were in place around the Battle Hill campground.
Police would work alongside the Civil Aviation Authority to examine the scene.
A police vehicle with a trailer is seen at the site this afternoon. Photo: RNZ / Charlotte Cook
A man who discovered a body in the "unrecognisable" wreckage of a helicopter that crashed says he was checking for vital signs as the Westpac helicopter arrived at the scene.
He said he checked the vital signs of one of the people on the helicopter and they were deceased.
Shortly afterwards, he said another person was located some distance from the wreckage on steep terrain in thick scrub.
"It's not my first. I spent 27 years in search and rescue - so it's not something new to me," the man said.
He said he attempted to shut the helicopter off as fuel was running out of the aircraft, but could not access the switch to do so.
"Because there's fuel leaking out and the machine was still turned on, we took the safe option and we moved out of the way," he said.
The man said he understood the helicopter was involved in goat culling in the area.
Police, Maritime NZ's Rescue Coordination Centre and Fire and Emergency responded to the crash.
Fire and Emergency had sent two crews from Porirua, along with their "line rescue team". Also known as rope rescue personnel, they are trained in high-angle, vertical, or challenging terrain, often handling rescues at height or in confined spaces.
Photo: RNZ / Charlotte Cook
The newly appointed Police Assistant Commissioner, currently District Commander, Corrie Parnell has arrived on site. RNZ understands authorities are currently in meetings and they are struggling to access the site because of the area.
Park rangers and teams on ATVs were trying to make the scene more accessible.
While helicopters have been in the air this morning, an RNZ reporter at the scene says Flight Radar is no longer showing helicopters in the area.
A Westpac rescue helicopter can be seen hovering over the valley near Battle Hill. Photo: Samuel Rillstone
Local MP Tim Costley said he was sad to hear of the tragic helicopter crash.
"My heart goes out to the family, friends, and loved ones of those two people. Their families will be really feeling it right now and I know we all send our thoughts and prayer," he said.
Costley, who formerly served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, said many in the region, and in the wider Defence Force community, will be remembering the tragic events of Anzac Day 2010.
Wednesday's crash was near Pukerua Bay, where three people died in a crash involving an Air Force helicopter on Anzac Day in 2010.
"While today is all about the families impacted this morning, I'm mindful of those who will cast their minds back to that day, and remember the awful wait as they sought desperately for information about their loved ones, only to receive the worst possible news. Today, two more families go through that same unimaginable experience," he said.
"Let's keep the families first and foremost in our thoughts at this really sad time."
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