THE BODIES of seven people, including a popular Hampshire couple, who died in an air crash have been recovered.

Tributes poured in for Nigel Charlton, 66, and his wife Helen, 70, also known as Cynthia, who were aboard a sightseeing helicopter in New Zealand when it crashed.

The couple from Romsey were killed in the crash along with another British couple and three others after the chopper flew into a crevasse on the Fox Glacier, on the country’s South Island, on Saturday morning.

New Zealand police were able to find four of the passengers’ bodies but were forced to cancel their search for the others for three days due to bad weather.

The specialist rescue team has now found the last three bodies and used a drone camera to inspect the wreckage.

Officers held an overnight press conference to confirm the news.

West Coast Area Commander Inspector John Canning said a 23-strong recovery team flew to the glacier at first light and Alpine Cliff Rescue members reached the wreckage yesterday.

A break in the weather gave teams two hours to do preparation on the ice, cutting a track down to the wreckage.

He added that air accident investigators said the key parts of the helicopter were retrieved yesterday.

Alpine Cliff Rescue team leader Marius Bronn said they had to watch every step they took.

“The popcorn-like ice – I’ve used that term before – but it really is unstable, it’s moving and it’s noisy, the glacier is creaking and groaning a bit,” he said.

“It’s steep and slippery, so you’re just on high alert all the time.”

“There is smaller debris spread out over an area the size of a rugby field.

“It is heavily crevassed, there are multiple ice and other hazards but the intention is that we’ll do our very best to recover evidence or parts of the aircraft that might be of most use to an investigation.”

The inquiry of the crash is being led by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and aims to explain the circumstances and causes of the accident.

Peter Northcote, a spokesman for the commission, said: “The intention is to locate, identify, record, and recover the wreckage.

“However it is dispersed in crevasses and snow-covered terrain and this will present access challenges.

“Investigators have secured aircraft records and are working with the helicopter operator.”

Nigel and Cynthia’s family led tributes this week, saying they were “deeply saddened” and described the couple as “very adventurous” when it came to travel. They said this holiday was meant to be their “last big adventure together.”

Friends of the Charltons described them as “wonderful people who loved each other very much”.