Two climbers die

The bodies of two New Zealand climbers have been recovered from an area below Marian Peak in the Darren Mountains in Fiordland. They had been reported missing on Monday and had been overdue for 24 hours. Sergeant Tod Hollebon, of Te Anau, said the climbers were found ‘‘at the base of a climbing face where they had clearly suffered a fall’’. Police were in the process of contacting next of kin last night. Southern Lakes Helicopters operations manager Lloyd Matheson, who was crewman of the recovery, described the area where the climbers, believed to be male, were found as a ‘‘climbers mecca’’. ‘‘It’s a severe part of the national park. Sheer mountains and high alpine stuff . . .’’