A man who was found in a mummified condition died from a combination of starvation and exposure, a coroner has found.
Hastings man Paul Anthony Alogi, 39, was discovered inside a sleeping bag in a remote Fiordland valley on March 24.
His decomposing body was found by two hunters near
McDonald Creek in Bligh Sound.
It was believed he had been there for several weeks before his body was discovered.
In his report, Southern region coroner David Crerar said Mr Alogi had been drinking alcohol, which would have made him more prone to hypothermia and exposure, the Otago Daily Times reported.
"Instead of carrying appropriate food for the journey, he chose to burden himself with alcohol ... If Paul Alogi had chosen to carry food and not wine, the result may have been very different," Mr Crerar said.
Mr Alogi was last seen by a family member on January 3 and he had intended to travel to Wellington and then head to Nelson to find work either at an orchard or on fishing boats.
Mr Crerar said the area Mr Alogi was found in was "unforgiving", and it was not a tramping destination for the unprepared, the poorly equipped or the inexperienced.
"The bush country of New Zealand is not to be taken lightly, as Paul Alogi has discovered to his cost," Mr Crerar said.
- NZPA
