KEY POINTS:
The family of Israeli tourist Liat Okin take some comfort from the fact she probably died at an early stage of her Fiordland tramp, her brother says.
The body of Ms Okin, 35, was found last Friday in dense bush about 1km off the Routeburn track after a private search team located her backpack and shoes in the area the day before.
She was last seen at the Mackenzie Hut on the track on March 26.
Her brother Itamar Tas said today an autopsy had indicated she was likely to have fallen about 40 metres down a creek, and from the information he had received, that was likely to have happened on the same day she got lost.
"Which is sort of cold comfort to know she didn't suffer and she wasn't out freezing or starving or any other possibility...," he told Radio New Zealand.
Mr Tas said while it took more than a week before police began a search for her, the delay was unlikely to have made a difference.
When the police search was called off, a private search continued and Ms Okin's body was found at a stage when that search was about to also be called off.
"With that kind of search you could sometimes look for half a year and not find it," Mr Tas said in regard to the vast area Ms Okin was in.
"I do believe and feel that the police and searchers...and everybody did a very great effort.
"Because of that reason we really felt that we wanted to continue and search ourselves."
Before returning to Israel, Mr Tas said he had seen pictures on Ms Okin's camera which suggested she had been enjoying herself in New Zealand.
"I want to thank all the New Zealand people and the many people that helped us...I have a warm place for New Zealand in my heart," he said.
Acting Otago rural police area commander Inspector Andrew Burns said today it was up to the coroner to decide if and when the cause of death would be officially made public.
The coroner who will investigate Ms Okin's death said yesterday he would examine claims that the police started their search too late.
Coroner David Crerar said speculation over the police search was premature.
"There has been concern expressed in the media in relation to the adequacy of the police search and the failure to locate Liat Okin alive and with difficulties with the systems intended to raise an alarm when trampers go missing.
"Any criticisms or concerns are premature and will be the subject of a comprehensive investigation at a future inquest."
Mr Crerar said he had decided to open an inquiry because Ms Okin appeared to have died of an unnatural cause, such as a fall. The other reasons related to public interest, the chance to reduce a recurrence of the tragedy and the desire to fully investigate its subsequent searches.
Mr Tas has publicly stated his concern over the delay.
"Probably my sister was already dead when the police started searching," he said. "If they start searching after 10, 11 days, it's ridiculous. For the future, I don't want to wish that kind of experience on anyone else."
