Australian Canoeing, Tuesday, 14 May 2002
"No blame has been attributed to the rafting companies or the raft guide for the death of a University of Otago medical student during a raft trip on the Shotover River last year. The Maritime Safety Authority recently released its report into the death of Yoly Nim Yan Chi (19) during a joint Queenstown Rafting/Challenge Rafting trip on August 28. It found there was no procedural fault by the companies or the guide (Full report available for download).It does make one question:
Queenstown, NZ -- No blame has been attributed to the rafting companies or the raft guide for the death of a University of Otago medical student during a raft trip on the Shotover River last year.
The NZ Maritime Safety Authority recently released its report into the death of Yoly Nim Yan Chi (19) during a joint Queenstown Rafting/Challenge Rafting trip on August 28. It found there was no procedural fault by the companies or the guide.
Miss Chi and five friends were on a raft which attempted to enter the Toilet Rapid. The raft was not close enough to the right bank and hit a large boulder.
The raft bounced off the rock and then rose up against a wave rolling off the boulder. Miss Chi fell out of the raft as the other five passengers lost their balance, which led to the raft dipping into the water. Four rafters were "flushed" from the raft as water rushed into it and pressure wrapped the raft around the rock.
Miss Chi and another rafter were wedged between the raft and the rock. He was freed by the guide after about 30 seconds but Miss Chi was facing upstream, between the raft and boulder and arched backwards, with only her hands above the water's surface and unable to be freed.
The trip leader ordered the raft to be cut to free Miss Chi and radioed for a helicopter and medical assistance.
Attempts were made to rig lines to pull the raft off Miss Chi, including one by a helicopter, but the water pressure made it impossible. It took rescuers more than two hours to free her body. The rock was destroyed by explosives two days later.
A similar "wrap" had occurred a few days earlier on the same rock. It had taken 40 minutes to free the raft. At the time, recommendations were made to the companies' guides about entering the rapid correctly.
The authority found the "tragic accident" was caused by a combination of the failure to stick to the true right hand side of the river before entering the rapid; the initial contact with the boulder which caused Miss Chi to fall into the river; the tilting of the raft after the group members lost their balance, which allowed water to enter the raft's interior and wrap against the rock.
The authority will arrange a workshop with rafting representatives to discuss issues arising from the accident, including the means used for hazard identification, how the wrapping of rafts can be minimised and whether procedures for freeing them can be determined. A date is yet to be set.
When contacted yesterday, Challenge Rafting managing director Mark Quickfall said the companies supported the move to hold the workshop.
The accident had been a tragedy for all involved, he said and added he hoped the report would provide some answers for Miss Chi's family.
"This tragedy deeply affected all of our staff. We understand fully the loss felt by her family, which will no doubt be rekindled at this time. Our sympathy is with them," he said."
1. whether the previous "wrap" a few days earlier should've made the company reconsider using that stretch of river under similar conditions, and
2. whether the people in the raft were experienced/capable enough to keep it away from the right hand side of the river.
Other accidents on the Shotover River have included 11 people who were injured when their Shotover jet collided with a rock wall.
For today's posts click here
i was reported in the international papers to be the 5th person to die on the shotover river, this was in 1998. they were considering closing the rapids because the water was so high and rapids very fast, they decided to let our group be the last.
ReplyDeletethe rapids took our raft and it smashed against a large rock, it was the first rapid, i was thrown up and out and landed on my head onto a rock,this impact wripped my helmet off, i was then thrown into the water and held under by the fore of the rapid, i remember taking my last breath underwater, knowing it was all over if i did, but i must have got air from the bubbles in the rapid.... i eventually surfaced and was faced with a second raft heading for me which knocked me under the water and trapped me there, the rapid held the raft agains the canyone wall and me underneath, the crew in the boat managed to release eventually and i again bobbed up, from diving i knew to keep calm and that , hopefully, the raft would pass, as i bobbed up again a 3rd raft hit me on the head and trapped my head against the canyon wall and dragged me underwater crushing my head between the raft and canyon face for what seemed like the rest of my life, it may have been 20 meters, had the canyon wall not have been smooth i would have had my head ripped off...!!! again eventually the raft was released and I bobbed up knowing this was the end and a very small girl called mouse who was a guide in another raft put her arms in the water and pulled me out, i dont know how she did it, and i did all of this without a helmet on...!
obviously i survived but was helicoptered out to hospital from the canyon. I still have some issues with memory loss and fuzzyness in my head but this is a small price to pay for what i actually went through. My angels were breathing for me that day, and thanks to mouse I am alive today, she was half the size of me but she pulled me out of the water and i will never forget her.