Overview
- The tourist tripped and fell from a steep section of the Inca Trail on Wednesday and was reported missing before rescuers recovered his body the following day.
- He has been identified as Victoria Police Sergeant Matthew Cameron Paton, in his early 50s, who was trekking with his wife and a guided group.
- Specialist high‑angle rescue teams found Paton about 300–500 metres below the Wiñaywayna–Intipunku '50 Gradas' sector and recovered personal effects at the scene.
- Cusco police have questioned the guide, sent Paton’s body to a regional morgue for autopsy in Urubamba, and are checking whether the tour operator was formally registered while DFAT offers consular assistance to the family.
- The incident highlights the steep, rugged nature of the 42‑km Inca Trail and the logistical limits of rescue in hard‑to‑access sections, raising fresh scrutiny of trail infrastructure and operator oversight.