Two British couples killed in New Zealand helicopter crash

A HELICOPTER that crashed on New Zealand’s South Island on Saturday morning has claimed the lives of two British couples.

The four have been named as Andrew Virco, 50, and Katharine Walker, 51, from Cambridge, and Nigel and Helen Charlton, aged 66 and 70, from Hampshire.

The British tourists were among the seven victims after the helicopter crashed into a glacier.

Inspector John Canning described difficult conditions as teams planned the recovery of the bodies,

“The conditions up there are dangerous, so we’ve got to take our time and ensure the safety of our staff is paramount.

“Our plan is to go forward and recover the remaining bodies up there in the next day or so. It could take two or three days,” the Inspector added.