Lewis Ainsworth was "highly respected" among the mountaineering and skiing communities. Photo: Supplied / Ainsworth family
A New Zealander has died following a helicopter accident in Canada last week.
Lewis Ainsworth was on board the Northern Escape Heli-Ski helicopter in his professional capacity as a heli-ski guide, when it crashed near the town of Terrace in British Columbia on 22 January.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), three people died at the scene, and Ainsworth was one of four injured people taken to hospital.
The 35-year-old was president of the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) and accredited by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations.
In a statement, Ainsworth's family - which included a 10-year-old daughter - said it was "heartbroken" by his death.
"Lewis is a highly respected member of the New Zealand and international mountaineering and skiing community. He is loved by many and will be dearly missed by all those who have been fortunate enough to know Lewis and have shared in his passion for being in the mountains."
The family thanked those who had been involved in the search and rescue operation and Ainsworth's medical care over the past week.
The cause of the helicopter crash is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Ainsworth had previously worked as a mountain guide for Alpine Guides Aoraki Mt Cook, Aoraki/Mount Cook Search and Rescue, and as a ski patroller, avalanche forecaster and hard ice glacier guide.
According to the NZMGA website, Ainsworth was born and raised in Auckland, before heading south in his early twenties. It said he quickly found his calling climbing the Southern Alps while attending university in Christchurch.
"General mountain marauding quickly led to an interest in guiding and Lewis got his first dose of the guiding life as a 'Glacier Slug' on the rainy and temperate Fox Glacier," it said.
A couple of seasons working on ski fields in the Southern Lakes, followed by high mountain guiding and instructing had reinforced his commitment to the outdoor lifestyle.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the crash, but had not been approached to provide consular assistance.
