Broadcaster John Blumsky has died in Christchurch.
He was the only broadcast journalist sent to Antarctica to cover the Erebus disaster in 1979, and was awarded a QSM for his efforts.
His reports were phoned in from the ice, describing the recovery of bodies and salvage operations at the crash scene.
John Blumsky was also one of the pioneers of talkback radio and continued with a weekend show into the 1990s.
He died after a short illness with his family at his bedside.