An Australian doctor has died following a skiing accident in Canterbury.
Stan Seijka, a 51-year-old Tasmanian neurologist, died yesterday morning in Christchurch Hospital's intensive care unit after a fall at the Porters ski area near Canterbury.
Porters general manager Uli Dinsenbacher said Mr Seijka had somersaulted before sliding between 50 metres and 100m towards the number one T-bar, the Sydney Morning Herald website reported.
He was found by a Porters staff member, who had seen the last 20m to 30m of the fall.
"For some unknown reason, he lost control and fell so he somersaulted. The injury happened when he fell," Mr Dinsenbacher said.
"He had a helmet on, he was protected. But he came out of his skis and then slid down the slope.
"Nobody saw him falling or what happened, but he just ended up down there in front of one of our staff members.
"He could have slipped 100m or 50m. Nobody knows."
Christchurch police confirmed Mr Seijka's death but had no details about the circumstances of the accident and said it was a matter for the coroner.
They added that the doctor was flown from the site of the accident, at the Porter Heights skifield 90km west of Christchurch, to hospital in Christchurch where he later died.
Australian reports said Dr Seijka was holidaying with his three teenage children but was said to be skiing alone at the time of the accident.
His widow has flown to New Zealand.
