He fell through a damaged barrier into terrain so steep rescuers needed until the next day to find him
On a Wednesday afternoon in May, an Australian police officer named Matthew Cameron Paton stumbled through a damaged barrier on Peru's Inca Trail and fell some 400 metres down a remote embankment, losing his life on one of the world's most celebrated pilgrimage routes. He was 53, a trainer and union delegate within Victoria Police, a man whose work was defined by his care for others. His death near the ancient gateway of Intipunku leaves behind a wife, grieving colleagues, and an uncomfortable question about whether the infrastructure guarding such sacred and popular places is being kept worthy of the trust placed in it.
- A damaged security barrier on one of the world's most visited heritage trails gave way beneath a hiker's stumble, sending him 400 metres down terrain so steep that rescuers could not reach him until the following morning.
- When Paton did not return with his group Wednesday afternoon, a missing person alert was issued — but the remote and precipitous landscape near Intipunku made any immediate search impossible.
- His body was recovered Thursday, retrieved from difficult terrain and transported first to Aguas Calientes, then onward to Cusco, as the Australian Embassy in Peru was formally notified.
- Inside Victoria Police, the loss resonated beyond the tragedy of a life cut short — Paton was a trainer and welfare advocate whose influence shaped the officers around him.
- The state of the barrier through which he fell now draws scrutiny toward the maintenance of safety infrastructure on the UNESCO-listed trail, a question authorities will face as their investigation unfolds.
Matthew Cameron Paton was 53 years old and walking the Inca Trail with his wife on a Wednesday afternoon in May when his foot caught near the Intipunku entrance — one of the final approaches to Machu Picchu — and he stumbled through a damaged security barrier. The fall carried him roughly 400 metres down a steep, remote embankment. He did not return with the group.
Authorities issued a missing person alert that evening. It was not until Thursday morning that rescuers were able to locate and recover his body from the difficult terrain. He was transported to Aguas Calientes and then to Cusco, with the Australian Embassy in Peru notified of his death.
Within Victoria Police, the grief was particular. Paton had been more than an officer — he was a trainer who shaped how colleagues learned their work, and an assistant delegate for the Police Association of Victoria, a role that spoke to his investment in the welfare of those around him. The association remembered him as someone whose care extended well beyond the demands of the job.
The 42-kilometre Inca Trail draws thousands of visitors each year to this UNESCO World Heritage site, and the terrain near Intipunku is among its most demanding. The condition of the barrier through which Paton fell now raises questions that will not easily be set aside — about who is responsible for maintaining the safety infrastructure of a place the world has chosen to treasure.
Matthew Cameron Paton was walking the Inca Trail on a Wednesday afternoon in May, part of a group of tourists making their way toward Machu Picchu, when his foot caught and he stumbled forward. He fell through a damaged security barrier and down an embankment that dropped roughly 400 metres into terrain so steep and remote that finding him would take until the next day.
Paton was 53 years old, a police officer with Victoria Police in Australia, and he had come to Peru with his wife. The fall happened around 2pm local time near the Intipunku entrance to the trail, one of the final approaches to the ancient site. When he did not return with the group, authorities were alerted. Lieutenant Abel Bejarano Cuyotupac, the police commissioner of Machu Picchu, issued a missing person alert on Wednesday.
Thursday morning, rescuers located his body in the difficult-to-access area where he had fallen. They retrieved him and transported him to Aguas Calientes, the township at the base of Machu Picchu known locally as Machu Picchu pueblo. From there, authorities arranged to move him to Cusco, the nearest major city, in the hours that followed. The Australian Embassy in Peru was notified of the death.
Within Victoria Police, the news landed hard. Paton had not simply been an officer—he had been a trainer, someone who shaped how other police learned their craft. He also served as an assistant delegate for the Police Association of Victoria, a role that reflected his commitment to the welfare and support of his colleagues. In a statement, the Police Association described him as someone whose care for others extended beyond the job itself, someone who wanted to give back to the profession he served.
"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. The statement noted that their welfare team was working with Victoria Police to support his family.
The Inca Trail itself is a 42-kilometre hiking route that winds through the Peruvian mountains to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site that draws thousands of visitors each year. It is a demanding walk, and the terrain near Intipunku is among the steepest sections. The damaged barrier through which Paton fell raises a question about the maintenance of safety infrastructure on one of the world's most visited heritage trails—a question that will likely linger as authorities investigate what happened and how a barrier came to be in a state of disrepair.
Citas Notables
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.— Police Association of Victoria
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What was Paton doing on the Inca Trail that day? Was this a casual tourist walk, or something more deliberate?
He was part of a group of tourists making the trek to Machu Picchu. It's not clear if this was a guided tour or a group of friends, but he was with others when it happened. He'd come to Peru with his wife, so it seems like a holiday.
And the barrier—was it just worn down, or was there something obviously wrong with it?
The police report says it was damaged. We don't know if it was corroded, broken, or simply missing a section. But it was damaged enough that when he tripped, there was nothing to stop him from falling through.
Four hundred metres is a very long way down. Was he killed on impact, or did he survive the fall?
The reports don't specify. What we know is that he fell into a difficult-to-access area, which is why it took until Thursday to find him. The terrain itself would have been treacherous.
His colleagues back in Victoria—what kind of man was he to them?
Someone who cared about the profession beyond just doing the job. He trained officers, which means he shaped how people learned to police. He was also a union delegate, which meant he advocated for his colleagues' welfare. That's not a small thing in a police force.
Does this raise questions about the Inca Trail itself?
It has to. Machu Picchu is one of the most visited heritage sites in the world. If a barrier is damaged enough that someone can fall through it, that's a maintenance issue that affects thousands of people every year.