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A woman who managed to extricate herself from an avalanche that killed two mountain guides in the South Island, New Zealand, said she was "lucky to have a good time". to be alive.
The three men were buried Wednesday morning in the snow as they climbed Mount Hicks in Mount Cook National Park, police said.
Despite the quick efforts of the rescue teams, two men – guides – were found dead soon after.
However, Jo Morgan, a Kiwi adventurer, managed to break free after 40 minutes to trigger a locator beacon.
"I'm absolutely broke," Morgan told TVNZ public television later in the day, calling the dead men very dear.
"We were not stupid or anything and we just hit a slope … loaded with the type of snow that caused avalanches," she said.
"We were tied together and I survived, they were buried and I was buried, but my face was out so I could breathe."
Officials praised Ms. Morgan's actions, describing them as a manual recovery.
"She did an amazing job getting clear," said Lou Sanson, director general of the conservation department, at NZ Herald.
"She had her (locator beacon) near her body, which no doubt saved her life.
The police have not yet named the two men and said their deaths will be referred to the coroner.
Their bodies were found and the next of kin informed.
Ms. Morgan is the wife of the famous billionaire and New Zealand economist Gareth Morgan.
Experienced mountaineer, she would have climbed 22 major summits.
His group left at 2 am Wednesday in the hope of enjoying a window in bad weather.
Two helicopters, an eight-person rescue team and a dog were involved in the search.
Mount Hicks has a height of about 3200 meters.
