"Trampers should never be on such tight time restraints that they make unwise decisions in adverse weather," coroner David Crerar said during an inquest into the death of the Auckland woman who disappeared during a tramp in Mt Aspiring National Park on December 31, 2008
Irina Yun (36) was a New Zealand resident living in Auckland, but born in Kazakhstan, of Korean descent.
She was tramping alone near Wanaka when she went missing.
On December 31, she left the Mt Aspiring Hut in the West Matukituki Valley in adverse and challenging weather, intending to walk over the Cascade Saddle to the Dart Hut, in the Dart Valley north of Glenorchy.
A search was mounted when she did not arrive at the Dart Hut as planned.
On January 11, 2009, police stated she was considered "missing, presumed drowned".
In November, more than 45 weeks after her disappearance, a private search party found human remains in the area.
At the inquest, Sergeant Aaron Nicholson, of Wanaka, who had been in charge of the search and rescue operation, told the court Ms Yun had apparently been fit and carrying adequate equipment for the tramp.
But she was unfamiliar with the Cascade Saddle route and the local weather conditions, he said.
She had not done long tramps alone, and was expecting to stay overnight at huts, as she was not carrying a tent.
Mountain guide Geoff Wayatt had been asked by the coroner to provide a report on the search and rescue operation, based on his experience as search adviser since 1979.
He told the court he had found the search area to be determined appropriately and searched thoroughly, without undue delay.
"There was no action that could or should have been taken that would have altered the outcome of this incident," he said.
The human remains found in November 2009 were sent to Dunedin for an autopsy conducted by a pathologist and an anthropologist.
The autopsy report indicated the remains were of a young adult female, with physical characteristics matching those of Irina Yun.
The cause of death was concluded to be "due to presumed drowning".
The coroner was amazed at the detailed findings of the scientists, based on the limited remains found, and said he was satisfied the remains were those of Ms Yun.
He would consider a recommendation regarding funding for the private search, which resulted in the discovery, as this search had been crucial to his inquest.
No relatives of Ms Yun were present at the inquest.
The coroner reserved his findings and recommendations.
• Not suspicious
Mr Crerar said the death of Gellert Csaba Mudra was not suspicious.
The Hungarian man, who had been living in Queenstown, disappeared on November 13, 2009, and was later found dead in Lake Wakatipu.
The inquest was not open to the public, and no further information has been released.
