A young Otago's man dream trip around Europe has ended in tragedy after he was killed instantly when he fell down a steep bank in Germany.
Richard Paterson, 23, of Waitahuna, near Milton, was last seen at Andechs Monastery near Munich, on September 15, Mr Paterson's father, Murray, said yesterday.
He and
his two travelling companions, also from New Zealand, were socialising at a well-known tourist pub with other New Zealanders and Australians, all planning to head to the Oktoberfest in Munich in the following days.
Mr Paterson said details were still sketchy, but it appeared his son missed the bus back to his place of accommodation and when he still had not returned 24 hours later his friends became concerned and, with the help of locals, started their own inquiries and search.
Police were told of the situation and a full scale air and land search was started.
Richard Paterson's body was found at the bottom of a 30m bank, about a 10 minute walk from the monastery, late on Thursday afternoon.
An autopsy revealed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Paterson's death. He hit his head while falling down the bank and died instantly.
Richard Paterson was a science graduate from Massey University and had travelled widely since graduating two years ago.
Mr Paterson described his son as a vibrant young man who enjoyed outdoor pursuits including mountain biking, water skiing, running and martial arts.
He had intended to spend two days at the German beerfest and was due home on October 12.
Now, the process to bring him home had begun, but his father was unsure how long that would take ? he thought perhaps a week.
