A 26-year-old rock climber has been found dead in Central Otago this morning.
Ground searchers found the man's body about 8.25am in thick scrub at the base of Chinaman's Bluff, a popular rock climbing site in the Dart River Valley, 50km northwest of Queenstown.
Two climbers were reported overdue last night. Search and rescue workers tried to find the men overnight and launched ground and aerial searches early this morning, police said.
The other climber, who was uninjured, was airlifted from a small ledge about 200m up the cliff where he had spent the night.
The dead climber's name has not yet been released.
His death has been referred to the coroner.
