Matthew Paton fell from a steep section of Peru’s Inca Trail while hiking with his wife and a tour group.
CUSCO, Peru — An Australian police sergeant died after falling from a mountain path near Machu Picchu while hiking Peru’s Inca Trail with his wife during a long-planned vacation, authorities said.
Matthew Cameron Paton, 52, was trekking with a guided group when he fell near the “50 Steps” area of the trail, close to the Inti Punku entrance, also known as the Sun Gate. The fall triggered a difficult recovery effort in steep terrain and brought tributes from Victoria Police, where Paton had served for 16 years.
Local officials said the accident happened about 2 p.m. Wednesday as Paton was walking with other tourists on the route toward Machu Picchu. Cusco Police Region Chief Virgilio Velasquez said investigators believe Paton tripped while crossing a wooden bridge and tried to steady himself on a railing. The railing gave way, Velasquez said, and Paton fell into a ravine. Rescue teams searched the area before finding his body the next day in a hard-to-reach section below the trail.
Paton had been traveling in Peru with his wife, Jane, and had been in the country for nearly two weeks before the accident. Authorities said the couple was part of a four-day guided hike on the Inca Trail, one of South America’s best-known trekking routes. Officials did not immediately release a final report on the condition of the bridge, the railing or the weather at the time of the fall. No criminal wrongdoing has been reported, and the case is being treated as a fatal accident investigation.
Victoria Police confirmed Paton’s death after Australian officials were notified. The department said Paton joined the force in 2009 and worked at police stations in Cranbourne and Rosebud before becoming an instructor at the Victoria Police Academy in 2017. He later helped train officers responding to mental health incidents. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said Paton’s colleagues were devastated by the loss of a “wonderful, caring person” who was respected across the department.
Paton had recently been selected for a senior sergeant position and was due to begin the role in June. His family said he had dreamed of visiting Peru for years and had studied Spanish as part of his interest in travel and history. Relatives described him as devoted to his wife of 31 years and their three children. They said he was the kind of person who stopped to help strangers and remained deeply committed to his family, friends and police colleagues.
Peruvian authorities are expected to complete witness interviews with guides and members of the hiking group as part of their report. Australian officials said consular staff were assisting Paton’s family. Local authorities also were handling recovery documentation and arrangements to move his body from the Machu Picchu area toward Cusco before repatriation steps continue.
By Tuesday, tributes continued to spread across Victoria’s police community as officers remembered Paton as a trainer, mentor, husband and father. The investigation in Peru remained open while officials reviewed the circumstances of the fall and the condition of the trail infrastructure.
Author note: Last updated May 26, 2026.