A 53-year-old Australian man has lost his life in a tragic hiking accident on Peru’s iconic Inca Trail leading to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, after he fell hundreds of meters down a steep ravine when a wooden railing he grabbed for support collapsed, local law enforcement and rescue authorities confirmed.
The victim has been identified as Matthew Cameron Paton, a serving member of Victoria’s police force in Australia who had traveled to Cusco, the gateway city to Machu Picchu, roughly 12 days prior to the incident alongside his wife. The accident unfolded on Wednesday, when Paton was hiking the famous mountain route as part of a group that included other tourists and a local trail guide. According to initial accounts from regional police, Paton tripped while crossing an aging wooden footbridge along the route. When he reached out to steady himself by grabbing the adjacent wooden railing, the structure broke away entirely, sending him plummeting into the deep ravine below.
Local police received immediate reports of the missing hiker moments after the fall, and a full-scale search operation was launched that same afternoon by regional authorities, led by the Cusco High Mountain Rescue Unit. Recovery teams located Paton’s body on Thursday, roughly 300 meters (984 feet) down the steep slope near the trail’s well-known “50 Gradas” section, a rugged stretch popular among trekkers heading toward Machu Picchu.
In comments to Peruvian state news outlet Andina, General Virgilio Velasquez, chief of the Cusco Police Region, confirmed the details of the operation and the accident. “We have information indicating that he apparently tripped while crossing a wooden bridge and he likely tried to hold onto the wooden railing,” Velasquez said. “But it gave way and he slipped into the abyss along with it. Unfortunately, he fell down the ravine.”
Paton’s body is currently being prepared for transfer to a nearby municipal mortuary in the region, and local authorities have launched an official investigation into the root causes of the accident, including an assessment of the condition of the trail infrastructure where the collapse occurred.
News of Paton’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief from his colleagues back in Australia. In an official statement, The Police Association of Victoria (TPAV) said its staff and membership were stunned and deeply saddened by the passing of one of their own in the overseas accident. “Matt’s contribution to policing, through both his role in training police and as a TPAV Assistant Delegate, was representative of the care and concern he had for his colleagues and his want to give back to policing,” the association said.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing full consular support to Paton’s family, who are now navigating the process of repatriating his remains back to Australia. “We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” a department spokesperson said.