The death of an experienced tramper in Fiordland National Park could have been prevented if the Department of Conservation (Doc) had installed proper signs following another tramper's death a year earlier, a coroner has found.
Coroner Marcus Elliott, of Christchurch, has released his findings into the deaths of Israeli tourist Udy Brill in 2016 and French woman Anne-Marie Scaglione-Genet in 2017.
Both died in similar circumstances while descending from the Gertrude Saddle in the national park.
Mrs Scaglinoe-Genet was tramping with her husband Pierre Genet in January 2017, when she slipped and fell after the pair missed a spot where it was safe to cross a stream.
They instead walked into an area where the rocks were partially wet and Mrs Scaglione-Genet slipped and fell to her death, Mr Elliot said.
In March 2016, Mr Brill died in the same area after he also missed the point in the stream where it was safe to cross.
He continued walking for some distance and eventually to the head of the waterfall where he found himself in extremely steep, challenging and dangerous terrain which would have been wet and slippery, Mr Elliot said.
He had ether slipped on the rocks while either attempting to descend or attempting to climb back up after discovering he was in unsafe terrain.
A Doc visitor incident investigation was carried out after Brill's death, which identified that additional markers were required on the track pole-mounted route markers and additional signage had been ordered by November 2016, but Doc was unable to install them by January 10 2017.
A cautionary sign has also been installed at the head of the valley floor where the track changes from marked to unmarked.
Mr Elliot said Doc should have installed the new markers following Mr Brill's death which could have prevented, Mrs Scaglione Genet's fall.
In the report Doc acknowledged it could have acted more quickly following Mr Brill's fall which may have prevented Mrs Scaglione-Genet's death.
Comment from Doc has been sought.
