Police should have begun searching for a missing skier earlier, even though he was most likely already dead at the time, a coroner has found.
Andrew Keith Seton was reported missing by his mother Janice on September 3, 2022 after he failed to contact her following a day of skiing Kosciuszko National Park backcountry.
Instead of immediately starting a search-and-rescue operation, police chose only to monitor the situation, believing Seton could have camped overnight or simply failed to inform his mother of his whereabouts.
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NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan concluded in her findings today that even though Seton was most likely already dead, it would have made a difference if the search had started earlier.
“The search should have commenced ideally on the Sunday at first light,” she said.
O’Sullivan found Seton died from multiple injuries after striking or landing on a rock and his wounds would have been “near instantaneously fatal”.
But the police response was not adequate and the skier should have been deemed a missing person following the first report by his mother, the coroner said.
She recommended police consider better ways of encouraging the public to fill out trip-intention forms when they were backcountry skiing.
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Seton did not complete the form.
It was also recommended police consider informing the public they should attend a station in person if they wanted to report somebody missing.
Seton’s body was found on a rock in Watsons Crags on September 5, two days after he was reported missing, when a search was launched including a police helicopter.
He was an experienced skier and carried the appropriate equipment, including crampons, an ice pick and personal location beacon, the inquest was told.
He was remembered by his family and friends as a beautiful, caring and adventurous young man.
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