By KEVIN TAYLOR
Turoa skifield workers are puzzled why an Auckland skier killed on Mt Ruapehu ended up in an area suitable only for expert skiers.
The body of David Reeve, a 23-year-old accountant, was found on Sunday at the eastern edge of the Turoa ski area in a 3-4m deep snowcave.
Turoa manager Chris Thrupp said Mr Reeve, a regular at the skifield, was an intermediate skier but he was on his own in an area that only advanced skiers would tackle.
"He was not the adventurous type. It's a mystery why he was there," Mr Thrupp said.
Mr Reeve appeared to have lost control, slid through a bowl-shaped area and over a bluff and ended up in a snowcave formed by a waterfall system.
Sergeant Mike Hill, of Ohakune, said an autopsy yesterday showed Mr Reeve died from massive head injuries. The death has been referred to the Taihape Coroner.
Mr Reeve was noticed missing on Saturday when a group of friends he went skiing with could not raise him on his cellphone from Ohakune.
The area where his body was found was isolated.
About 20 searchers were involved in trying to find Mr Reeve, and retrieval of the body took more than four hours.Kevin Taylor
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