There will be several investigations in to the fatal avalanche near Methven.

A 60-year-old Australian tourist was killed yesterday when he was buried under snow on Ragged Range. He was on a guided heli-skiing tour with the company Alpine Guides.

Steve Schreiber of the Mountain Safety Council says police are looking at what happened, both for their own needs and the Coroner's. The Labour Department and New Zealand Mountain Guides will also investigate.

Meanwhile, one of the survivors of yesterday's avalanche says he tried not to panic, despite being buried under two metres of snow. John Castran says they heard a massive rumble from above, then found themselves buried in snow and ice. He has little recollection of what happened after that.

"I'd lost total consciousness when they found me, my son Gus said I was groaning, but I have now memory of them finding me"

The Melbourne man has described how he escaped death by licking snow away from his nose to breathe before he fell out of consciousness. He says he remembers thinking that he had to stay calm and breathe very carefully.