Inquest told of dangers of Kosciusko backcountry skiing

An area of Kosciuszko National Park’s backcountry where a 23-year-old man was found dead is “complex and technical” for skiing, an inquest has been told.

Andrew Keith Seton’s body was found on a rock in Watsons Crags on September 5, 2022.

Watsons Crags is a challenging backcountry skiing destination requiring hiking and climbing north-west of Perisher ski resort.

Mr Seton was an experienced skier and carried appropriate equipment for backcountry skiing, including crampons, an ice pick and personal location beacon, counsel assisting Jack Harris told the NSW Coroners Court.

Backcountry skiers were expected to fill out a trip intention form, accessed online through NSW Parks and Wildlife.

Mr Seton did not fill out a trip intention form and instead told his mother, Janice, on September 3 he was off to ski Watsons Crags and was expected to be back at his car later in the afternoon.

Snowy Mountains Backcountry Tours operator Douglas Chatten told the inquest he wouldn’t know of many backcountry skiers who filled out a trip intention form.

“Well I don’t, my wife always knows [my intention],” he said on Tuesday.

Backcountry enthusiast Hugh Newall testified that he didn’t often fill out the form.

“I think it is just simplicity for me, it is just quicker to let my old man know … but otherwise I wouldn’t have any criticism of the form.”

Newall said Watsons Crags involved a high level of skill.

“It is one of the most complex and technical skiing [areas] we have in NSW,” he said.

“It might be nice skiing conditions to start but where the sun has not yet warmed up the snow it can lead to very difficult icy conditions.”

Chatten described the conditions on the day that Mr Seton went missing as poor.

“I wouldn’t have skied there that day … not a great day to decide to ski down in there,” he said.

When Mrs Seton received no communication from her son in the late afternoon, she contacted Jindabyne Police Station to file a missing person’s report.

Mr Seton was not formally reported as missing, instead police monitored the situation as they believed he could have camped overnight or he just did not inform his mother of his whereabouts, the inquest was told.

It meant a search and rescue mission did not start until the morning of September 5, two days after Mrs Seton first raised her concerns with police.

Mr Seton’s body was located on a rock down the chute at Watsons Crags by POLAIR in the afternoon of September 5.

Harris told the inquest the purpose of the proceedings was to determine if regulation is required, if the police search and rescue response was adequate, and is it necessary to make any recommendations connected with Mr Seton’s death.

The inquest continues on Wednesday.