Arrowtown death: Mystery over Hong Kong visitor

Police have issued this photograph of 51-year-old Wai Ming Lai, who died after collapsing in Arrowtown's historic Chinese Settlement. Photo / Supplied

Mystery surrounds a visitor from Hong Kong who died after collapsing in bush on a walking track near the historic Arrowtown Chinese Settlement.

Police have established the man was 51-year-old Wai Ming Lai, a Hong Kong national who arrived in New Zealand from his home country on July 27.

However, most other details about the visitor remain a mystery, including his movements around New Zealand and in Queenstown.

About 9.30am on Saturday police received reports a man had been found unconscious in Sawpit Gully near the Chinese Settlement.

Attempts to resuscitate him by police and ambulance staff were unsuccessful.

Detective senior sergeant Malcolm Inglis, of Queenstown, said Lai’s death had been referred to the coroner, but police needed the public’s help to get him home.

Lai was meant to have left NZ on October 18.

“We don’t know where he’s been staying, what he does, we don’t know, at this stage, who his next of kin are ... to advise them of his death.

"No one’s come forward to report him missing, or not returning to his accommodation."

Inglis appealed to the public for any information, particularly around where he had been staying.

While his cause of death was still to be determined, police’s priority is to get Lai back to his family.

Anyone who met Lai, accommodated him, or has any information at all is asked to contact police.