Australian police sergeant dies after falling on Inca Trail in Peru

An Australian man has died in Peru after falling from an embankment while walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Matthew Cameron Paton was walking in a group of tourists about 2pm on Wednesday, local time, when he tripped and fell through a damaged security barrier, local police told the ABC.

The 52-year-old Victorian Police sergeant is believed to have fallen up to 400 metres in a difficult-to-access area near the Intipunku entrance to the Inca Trail, police say.

He had been reported missing on Wednesday, according to an alert issued by Lieutenant Abel Bejarano Cuyotupac, the police commissioner of Machu Picchu.

Sergeant Paton's body was found and retrieved on Thursday, local time, and transported to the Aguas Calientes township, known locally as the Machu Picchu pueblo.

Authorities, who have contacted the Australian Embassy in Peru, expect to transport his body to the Peruvian city of Cusco in coming hours.

Sergeant Paton had been travelling in Peru with his wife, officials said.

Victoria Police also confirmed Sergeant Paton's death and described the incident as a "tragedy".

"We are in contact with his wife Jane who was with him on holiday and family are flying to Peru from Australia … Victoria Police is doing everything in its power to provide whatever support it can," a statement read.

"Matt, 52, joined Victoria Police in 2009, initially serving at Cranbourne and Rosebud police stations before becoming an instructor at the Victoria Police Academy in 2017.

"His passion for teaching recruits led to a number of other roles, including facilitating training for police responding to mental health events.

"He was recently selected for a senior sergeant position and was due to [start] in the role next month.

"A proud Queenslander, he was a passionate follower of the Maroons and Brisbane Lions. Matt loved travelling, exploring historic sites and cultures. He is survived by his wife and three children Ainsley, Luke and Meg."

The Police Association of Victoria said its staff and members had been left shocked and saddened by Sergeant Paton's death.

"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," a statement said.

"We've offered our heartfelt condolences to Matt's family and our welfare team is working with Victoria Police to provide them support."

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been contacted for further comment.

The Inca Trail is a 42-kilometre hiking trail that winds through the Peruvian mountains to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Machu Picchu historical site.