Mystery surrounds the death of a young English backpacker who, police believe, fell about 10m to his death from a building in the heart of Queenstown early yesterday.
The man, identified as James Patrick Smith (25) of Kent, England, had been in the resort for only a few days, looking for a job.
Mr Smith was last seen alive at Altitude Bar, on Shotover St. He was wearing a red zip-up hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and white running shoes.
His body was found by a staff member from Base Discovery Lodge about 1.40am, lying in an alleyway between the Base-Altitude Bar building and a reserve opposite The Mountaineer development.
Detective Grant Miller, of the Queenstown CIB, said police were not treating the death as suspicious.
"From our inquiries we believe that he has fallen from the roof area in an intoxicated state.
"What he was doing up there, we don't know."
Det Miller said there was a staircase at the back of the building, not visible from the street, that led to the roof.
The height from the roof to the ground was about 9.5m.
Base Discovery Lodge manager Matthew Hirst told the Otago Daily Times yesterday he was unsure if Mr Smith had fallen from the roof. He said there was no access to the roof of the four-storeyed building, even from the stairs at the back.
"You can't even get on to the roof from the ladder - mind you, he could have climbed up."
Mr Hirst confirmed the dead man was not a guest at the backpackers.
It is understood Mr Smith had been staying at a youth hostel on Lake Esplanade with a friend from the United Kingdom, with whom he was travelling.
Det Miller said while the 25-year-old had no occupation listed, he was understood to be a ski instructor and had arrived in Queenstown at the start of the week looking for work.
He had been at a youth hostel until about 9pm or 10pm on Thursday and then gone into town, possibly with other people from the hostel.
Det Miller said Mr Smith was last seen alive at Altitude Bar.
Police would like to hear from anyone who may have been in the area between 11pm and 2am.
Mr Smith's death has been referred to the coroner.
