Wellington - New Zealand police called off a search for a Malaysian tourist missing in a New Zealand alpine park on Friday, saying he was believed to have died from hypothermia. Search parties found no trace of Kok Wong, 32, who had not been seen since leaving a youth hostel where he was staying for a hike in the South Island's Aoraki/Mount Cook national park on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said he was wearing only light clothing and would not have survived two nights in the open in the park, which contains New Zealand's highest mountain, the 3,754-metre Mount Cook.
Police Constable Brent Swanson said searchers believed Wong got into trouble on the first night out and had since died from hypothermia, with heavy rain and temperatures plunging to 5 degrees Celsius overnight.
The youth hostel reported him missing when he failed to catch a scheduled bus on Thursday, leaving his bed not slept in and his luggage still in his room.
Police said Wong's family had been notified and members were expected to arrive in New Zealand next week.
