Safety Gaps Found In Adventure Tourism Review

 
Media outlets are reporting on the  long awaited release of the Adventure Tourism safety review.

The review was instigated after the father of drowned river boarding tourist Emily Jordan wrote to John Key calling safety regulation in New Zealand “third world.”

The two main outcomes are that there are recommendations that adventure tourism Operators be registered (which stops short of a licensing system) and that  “most” be audited in order to remain on the register.

But even that is by no means a done deal because the report’s recommendations offer up a get-out-of- jail-card :-  a “quality mark” as an alternative to a full-blown and regulated registration scheme.
John Hartevelt wrote for Fairfax (emphasis ours):

A review of adventure tourism operators has found gaps in safety that risk more accidents and damage to New Zealand’s $3 billion adventure tourism industry.
The Government has announced it will set up a compulsory register and demand safety checks for operators to stay on the register…is no fundamental issue stopping operators from developing safety systems…
(the review) found there were gaps that allowed some to operate with less than acceptable safety standards. “While these gaps remain there is insufficient assurance that preventable accidents will not occur,” the review says.
“This situation could result in harm to individuals and their families and damage to New Zealand’s reputation as an international visitor destination.” Safety systems were “still developing” because the sector had grown quickly to a significant size.”

The report goes on to state that

The scheme should require “up-front and ongoing” external safety audits.
“This would go a considerable way towards providing assurance that activities are being managed safely,” the review said.
Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson said the Government had accepted the recommendation and a registration scheme would be set up. Most operators would become subject to safety audits once the scheme was in place…read the full report here

It may come as a surprise to some to hear that operators weren’t being subject to safety audits before the review took place. Perhaps if they had been a number of tragic deaths, including that of Emily Jordan, may have been avoided.

The Herald put a figure on the cost of auditing, which is risk weighted, that is going to come as a shock to many small operators. In our opinion this is likely to cause most operators to protest against the recommendations and put pressure on the government to adopt a quality mark for the industry:

The cost of an initial audit would depend on the risk. Medium risk would be $1000, and high risk would be $2200. The audits would be repeated periodically, and subsequent ones would be half the price of the initial audit.

There are no costings for repeating a failed audit and there are some recommendations that have not been reported on by the press.

The report made a number of recommendations to the Minister of Labour. Those included:

• Note that the adventure and outdoor commercial sector has grown quickly to a significant size, is innovative and dynamic, and its safety management systems reflect that quick growth and are still developing

• Note that the review found assurance and information gaps in the safety management framework that applies to the sectors.

• Addressing assurance gaps -  Agree to introduce a registration scheme for the adventure and outdoor commercial sectors with a requirement for up-front and ongoing external safety audits of operators’ safety management provisions (to a level commensurate with the risk) and an obligation on operators to keep their registration up-to-date

• Agree to partner with an industry-led entity to strengthen the safety management framework for the sectors

• Agree to the development of a practice guide for the sector

• Agree to an evaluation of the voluntary safety auditing schemes for adventure and outdoor commercial sector operations to ensure they are fit for purpose

• Agree to investigate the development of a register of government-accredited adventure tourism-related safety auditing schemes

• Note that agencies will clarify which government agency is responsible for which activities in the adventure and outdoor commercial sector

• Note that the Department of Labour will ensure that when the review of the Machinery Act and Amusement Devices Regulations occurs, that it carefully considers the adequacy of the Act and Regulations for the adventure and outdoor commercial sectors

• Agree to better inform operators about their current responsibilities

• Agree to further work being undertaken to determine whether instructors and guides should be required to hold qualifications and work only within the scope of their qualifications for some activities

• Addressing information gaps – Agree to work being undertaken to collect better and more consistent information on the sector and to improve its collation

• Further worthwhile initiatives – Note that if the proposed registration scheme is not approved, the Department of Labour will undertake further work to consider the value of educating consumers to look for a safety mark from an accredited safety auditing scheme when selecting an adventure or outdoor commercial sector provider

• Agree to further work being undertaken regarding a requirement for operators to have a satisfactory safety audit in order to receive any taxpayer-funded promotional benefits, (such as inclusion through i-Site stands, Tourism New Zealand)

• Direct the Department of Labour to undertake further work with other agencies as applicable in order to consider the appropriateness of the following initiatives:

• A. Expanding the rules-based approach taken under the Maritime Transport Act and the Civil Aviation Act for possible application to other adventure based activities
• B. Linking ACC payments to evidence of audited safety management plans
• C. Increasing the level of inspection under the HSE Act

• Agree to investigate if New Zealand should be represented on the International Organisation for Standardisation’s TC 228 Working Group for Adventure Tourism*

• Agree to the Department of Labour scoping the development of guidance on land owners’ and land managers’ safety-related responsibilities when they grant permission for adventure and outdoor commercial sector activities to operate on land that they own or manage

• General – Note that Cabinet has approved the development of aviation rules for commercial adventure aviation and new maritime rules for commercial jet boating and rafting to improve the safety regulatory framework for these activities, and that this work is well advanced

• Note that the proposed rules for adventure aviation activities and commercial jet boating and rafting being developed for the Minister of Transport will adequately address the current deficiencies in the safety regulatory framework applicable to those parts of the adventure and outdoor commercial sector

• Agree to the Department of Labour undertaking further work on the funding and institutional arrangements to deliver the key recommendations in this paper, with a particular focus on the appropriateness of industry-government shared models

• Note that the Department of Labour will assist, coordinate or initiate any further implementation issues arising from this report.

* The ISO TC 228 working group - exists to ensure the “Standardization of the terminology and specifications of the services offered by tourism service providers, including related activities, touristic destinations and the requirements of facilities and equipment used by them, to provide tourism buyers, providers and consumers with criteria for making informed decisions.”

53 countries participate in that group including Australia, Cuba, India, Germany Thailand and the UK. 17 other countries observe it. New Zealand, along with El Salavdor and Zimbabwe, is only an observer. Click here for a list of the TC 228 standards for tourism and related services.

How many of the recommendations will be acted upon remains to be seen but any deaths or serious injuries that occur in the meantime, and which can be attributed to not following these recommendations, will be on the heads of those who tarry.

Meanwhile, the family of Emily Jordan awaits the start of an inquest into her death.

In an interview with Scene, “The free voice of Queenstown”  Chris Jordan said he will push for an inquest into his daughter’s death to be held in the UK if one isn’t held in NZ. He said that he was disappointed to still be waiting to hear if one will be held and that the situation was “bizarre”.

Mr. Jordan wrote in a letter to Mr Key that he had spent 16 months investigating the way that extreme sports firms are regulated in New Zealand and was “appalled” at what he had found, he called for safety regulation of the industry, saying:

“It is vital that more young people do not die in this way. It is a tragic, unnecessary waste and they leave many grieving people behind for whom life is forever changed. This situation is damaging New Zealand’s reputation worldwide...”
“The laws in place at the moment aren’t the right vehicle to be regulating this sort of activity and they are not being regulated in any case,” he said. “People are going to New Zealand and expecting that it will be regulated like a western country but that really isn’t the case.
“There needs to be high quality and up-front checks on firms like this, but instead authorities only react when there is an incident.”

Adventure Tourism in New Zealand

• No specific legislation covers the health and safety of participants in adventure tourism activities in New Zealand.

• 19 deaths in the adventure and outdoor commercial sectors were reported directly to the Dept. of Labour between 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2009. Guided canyoning claimed 7 victims (6 of them high school students)  in one ‘accident’ and guided climbing claimed four victims in two ‘accidents’. The wider maritime adventure sector reported 6 fatalities to Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) and the aviation sector reported 4 fatalities to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) during this time.

• For over 50% of the incoming notifications of outdoor adventure incidents to DOL during the past two years, a decision was made not to carry out a workplace investigation. All notified workplace fatalities are investigated.

• For the Dept of Labour, where an investigation has occurred, only a small number resulted in some statutory enforcement action. Within the five year time-frame and sector under review, there have, however, been at least 6 prosecution actions taken. MNZ and CAA similarly undertook some enforcement actions.

• Licensing or approval is not required for many operators to commence commercial activity provision. Some agencies have the authority to certificate commencement of an activity for specified activities or to restrict its commencement through consenting processes. Powers to order adventure and outdoor commercial sector activities to cease to operate are similarly constrained.

• 448 adventure tourism workplace accidents that resulted in serious harm… were reported directly to DOL during the five-year period 1 July 2004-30 June 2009. Not all workplace accidents in the sector are being reported to DOL, possibly because they are viewed as recreation rather than workplace accidents.

• There is no single database of all qualifications held by owners, senior staff and non-senior staff members of these operations. However, an extensive list of qualifications undertaken by workplaces and matched to future training needs was compiled in 2005.  Additionally, some activities have mandatory qualifications or best practice guidelines. (2010)

See also:
NZ Facts and Stats, Adventure tourism and safety
UK families form group to push for tougher extreme sports standards in New Zealand – families call for licensing system in New Zealand.
Posts tagged Emily Jordan

Today's posts - click here

Another Adventure Tourism Death In New Zealand

An Australian tourist, 38-year-old John Parisis, from New South Wales, has fallen and died whilst on a guided tour with Franz Josef Glacier Guides in South Island, New Zealand.

Mr Parisis's cousin, Tina Vasilakis, said yesterday Mr Parisis had been in "good health" and was "excited to start his new life overseas"  (Switzerland).
"He walked regularly and had a blood test before he left, with nothing concerning," Ms Vasilakis told The Australian. "We are all taking it pretty hard." source

According to one report only a nurse was flown out to the glacier to administer CPR.

The exact circumstance of his death are unclear and there are conflicting accounts - initial police accounts were that he had fallen into the crevasse whilst other reports say he slipped and became unconscious. Family say he was fit and healthy.

He is the third Australian visitor to die on the Franz Joseph glacier in the last 18 months.

Earlier in 2009, two brothers aged 22 and 24, also from Melbourne, were crushed to death by 1200 tonnes of ice when they jumped over safety barriers to take a closer look at the terminal face.

A 39-year-old Melbourne man was found dead on the glacier in May 2000, at least two weeks after it was believed he had fallen 40 metres into a crevasse.

Mr Parisis' death came in the week that saw the opening evidence in the manslaughter trial concerning the death of another tourist, Catherine Peters ,  who died when she fell from the Ballance Bridge Swing.  Alistair McWhannell of Crag Adventures,who threw her from the bridge is charged with manslaugher. It is alleged that he was distracted and neglected to check the rope before throwing her off the bridge in a Mafia style drop.

Weeks ago another Australian tourist, 39 year old Kirsty Moulder from the Blue Mountains, was seriously injured when she slipped out of a leg harness whilst bungy jumping. See Australian tourist injured in bungy accident, another has collapsed lung

A review of Adventure Tourism Safety in New Zealand was instigated following the death of British tourist Emily Jordan. Her father Chris wrote to John Key, stating that "safety regulation in New Zealand was third world". Although the report is supposed to be complete it has yet to be released to the public.

Mr Parisis' death is another blow to the adventure tourism industry's increasingly shaky reputation in New Zealand.

Ninemsn reported on the death of Mr Parisis, saying:

"Police have named the Australian tourist who died while on a guided walk of New Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier on Saturday.
He was 38-year-old John Parisis, from New South Wales. No other details about him were immediately available.
Police said he was walking along the bottom of a crevasse as part of a tour group when he slipped and lost consciousness about 1.30pm.
The tour operator, Franz Josef Glacier Guides, flew him to the nearby township of Franz Josef on the South Island's west coast but attempts to revive him failed.
Police are investigating the matter on behalf of the coroner.
John Thorburn, chief executive of Ngai Tahu Tourism, which owns the glacier guide company, said the company has launched a full investigation.
Tours were suspended on Sunday but he expected them to resume on Monday.
"We are still pretty unclear as to what actually caused the gentleman's death and I guess that will come out in the course of the investigation."
Thorburn said staff were shocked and upset.
"We've spent most of our time in the last day in a half, just supporting the customers and staff on the ground in Franz Josef," he said."

Another Adventure Tourism Death Results In Prosecution. Tor Prestmo

 Foto: Gina Hindseth

Whilst the review of the Adventure Tourism industry is put on a back burner, until the busy summer season has passed its peak, a river rafting company has been prosecuted in connection with the death of Norwegian trainee guide Tor Prestmo, age 24.

This appeared on Voxy on 23 December 2009

Wellington, Dec 23 NZPA -

"A Manawatu river rafting company has been found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of a trainee guide who drowned when the raft he was on flipped on the Rangitikei River.

Tor Prestmo, 24, from Norway, drowned in October 2007 when he was swept under water after a collision between two rafts on a grade five rapid on the river.

The Maritime New Zealand laid 11 charges against River Valley Ventures Ltd, its director Brian Leadson Megaw and rafting manager Koryn John Gould under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

In a ruling released today, Judge Gregory Ross convicted the company on three charges relating to failing to ensure the safety of its employees, and failing to ensure no hazards arose in the workplace that could harm people.

Judge Ross found two charges of being in control of the company at the time of the incident, and failing to take practical steps to ensure no hazards arose for employees faced by Mr Megaw were proved.

Mr Gould was found guilty of one charge of failing to ensure Mr Prestmo's safety.
But Judge Ross said he would not enter a conviction against Mr Megaw or Mr Gould until he had heard from their counsel at sentencing.

On the day of the incident Mr Prestmo became wedged behind a rock, one metre under the surface. He had been training with tourism operator River Valley Ventures for three weeks at the time of the accident.

Three other guides and 10 passengers survived the collision and were rescued. The company, Mr Megaw and Mr Gould pleaded not guilty in Taihape District Court to the charges.

During the hearing, crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk said the company had neglected standard operating procedures, including safety briefings and assessment of clients' abilities.

Judge Ross said the company's involvement with the river should have been intimate and detailed and it should have identified hazards. "Every physical and geographical feature is identified, marked on maps, named and known."

The judge suggested it would have been practical for the company to have had a qualified guide in the raft with Mr Prestmo."

As far as we are aware this is the 8th prosecution notified this year relating to deaths or injuries sustained in adventure tourism activities in NZ, the others include

• Paul Woods - A British general surgeon at Dunedin Hospital died when the jet boat he was a passenger in flipped after hitting a gravel bank in the Matukituki River. His partner Dr Leanne Tonney and her brother Dave were injured in the crash. The boat was privately owned.

• Yan Wang - A Chinese tourist died when the jet boat she was a passenger in flipped at the confluence of the Shotover and Kawarau rivers. The company involved was 'Kawarau Jet'. 7 other people were injured.

• Sarah Katie Bond - A British tourist who died from her injuries during a quad bike trek run by 'Waitomo Big Red' 30km west of Waitomo Caves last August.

• Emily Jordan - A British tourist who drowned whilst riverboarding with 'Mad Dog River Boarding' on the Kawarau river. The company was fined NZ$66,000. (US$46,000)

• Catherine Peters - A New Zealand university student who died from her injuries after falling from the Ballance Bridge Swing.

• Six students and a teacher - Died in a canyoning exercise with the Sir Edmund Hilary Outdoor Centre, the centre was fined NZ$44,000.

• Rosemary Berry, a semi retired Australian tourist broke an arm and shoulder whilst skiing and sustained other injuries after she fell over an metal track left in the snow at the Cardrona Ski Resort. The company subsequently tried to appeal against its conviction of fines and costs totalling almost $60,000.

We hope that the review doesn't take too long and that the report's recommendations are implemented swiftly as soon as it is published.

See also other drowning deaths on the Rangitikei River

Today's posts - click here

Emily May Harper Named As American Woman Who Died Swimming With Dolphins

The American tourist who was found face down in the water whilst swimming with dolphins in Marlborough Sound on Tuesday has been named as 27 year old Emily May Harper from Denver, Colorado. Please see this article for further details.

Initial postmortem results suggest that she may have suffered a cardiac arrest. Her boyfriend told the press that as far as he knew she had no health problems and he said she was a competent swimmer. Her death was especially tragic as he'd only proposed to her a few hours earlier and had yet to give her the engagement ring he'd picked out for her. The couple had known each other since middle school 14 years previously and had shared an apartment in Capitol Hill with their cats.

Our thoughts are with him and the couple's families and friends for their terrible loss.

Ms Harper's death, sadly, is one of a number of adventure tourism related tragedies to have beset New Zealand in recent years. Other fatalities have included British woman Emily Jordan who died when she became trapped underwater whilst riverboarding, Paul Woods A doctor who died jet boating, Brett Singleton and Anton Woitasek died when their jet boat collided with two jet skiiers on the Kawaru River,  Yang Wang a Chinese tourist who died whilst jet boating, British woman Katie Bond who died in a quad bike expedition, a Skytrek hang-glider Andrew Michael Scotland and his passenger Argen­tinean Gerado Bean were killed near the Remarkables, Catherine Peters died when she fell from the Ballance Bridge Swing and six high school students and a teacher   drowned whilst canynoning with an outward bound centre.

A safety review of the adventure tourism industry is supposed to be currently underway following  calls for improvements by Chris Jordan (father of Emily Jordan who died whilst river boarding) He called NZ's safety regulations no better than "third world"

According to the Dept. of Labour website the following timetable shall apply to the review
Phase I - Scoping and establishing the knowledge base will be completed by 18 December
Phase II - Analysis, problem definition and reporting will start in January and end 31 March 2010.

A full report is expected to be with the minister of Labour by 31 March 2010, two years after Emily Jordan died. It will contain "options and recommendations".

We await its publication with interest.

Emily Jordan's Father Writes To John Key: Safety Regulations Are "Third World"

from The Birmingham Mail, UK. 9 Sept 09

"The father of a young Midland tourist who died during a river adventure trip in New Zealand has pleaded with the country’s prime minister to make extreme sports safer.

Law graduate Emily Jordan, from Worcestershire, drowned on a “river boarding” excursion after guides failed to take safety measures.

The operators were fined just £27,600 after admitting that they had failed to secure the safety of their customers.

Emily’s father, Chris Jordan, has now written to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to ask him to prevent future deaths by tightening up regulations, which he says are no better than the Third World.

Mr Jordan also described the fine given to the owners of Mad Dog River Boarding as an “insult"

“The laws in place at the moment aren’t the right vehicle to be regulating this sort of activity and they are not being regulated in any case,” he said. “People are going to New Zealand and expecting that it will be regulated like a western country but that really isn’t the case.

“There needs to be high quality and up-front checks on firms like this, but instead authorities only react when there is an incident.

“I’m not doing this as some sort of vendetta against these companies, but I want to protect tourists and their families from the sort of pain and grief we’ve gone through.

“I know these activities are going to continue and there are going to be accidents, but even a basic level of safety would have saved Emily.”

Emily, aged 21, from Trimpley, Worcestershire, was riding a body board on fast-flowing rapids when she became trapped in the Kawarau River Gorge on New Zealand’s South Island in April last year.
Ms Jordan was trapped underwater for 20 minutes until another boat carrying ropes arrived and freed her body.

Mad Dog River Boarding company director Brad McLeod pleaded guilty to charges of failing to take steps to protect customers and failing to protect employees last month.

The firm could have been fined up to 250,000 New Zealand dollars (£102,000) for each charge, but was ordered to pay just 66,000 dollars and £33,500 in compensation to the family.

(Ed. Despite presenting a very strong case the prosecution agreed a deal and dropped 4 of the 6 charges, including 3 against the company director, before the defence presented its case. The company then pleaded guilty to the remaining 2 charges. During the trial it was alleged that the company was operating in a "regulatory vacuum" and the suspicion is 4 of the charges were dropped in order to avoid further examining this accusation and to avoid the embarrassment it would've caused. The case was neatly wrapped up just days before the announcement that Key was to appear on the Letterman show to promote NZ tourism . Quote:
"In his second day in the witness box, Mad Dog River Boarding then-operations manager Nicholas Kendrick told Queenstown District Court the company was operating without specific governing regulations, as they hadn't yet been created." source) )

In his letter to Mr Key, Mr Jordan explains that he has spent 16 months investigating the way that extreme sports firms are regulated in New Zealand and was “appalled” at what he had found.
He urges Mr Key: “It is vital that more young people do not die in this way. It is a tragic, unnecessary waste and they leave many grieving people behind for whom life is forever changed.

“This situation is damaging New Zealand’s reputation worldwide.”

Outdoor pursuits are due to start again in New Zealand later this month during the summer tourist season."

An inquest has yet to be held into Emily's death. The trial was one of at least six prosecutions brought this year in NZ in connection with the deaths of 12 people in 'adventure' related activities.

For more posts on about this case and NZ please see the link "Emily Jordan" at the top of this page

Prosecutions Brought For Adventure Deaths And Injuries In NZ This Year

So far we are aware of at least 7 prosecutions that have been brought this year for 12 fatalities and one injury related to adventure tourism related activities in New Zealand. At present it is unclear if the number is so high because of an increase in the number of these types of fatalities, or whether it is indicative of a more hard line approach by the enforcement agencies in an effort to improve safety standards within the industry.

Cases year in court this year relate to the deaths or injuries of:
Paul Woods - A British general surgeon at Dunedin Hospital died when the jet boat he was a passenger in flipped after hitting a gravel bank in the Matukituki River. His partner Dr Leanne Tonney and her brother Dave were injured in the crash. The boat was privately owned.
Yan Wang - A Chinese tourist died when the jet boat she was a passenger in flipped at the confluence of the Shotover and Kawarau rivers. The company involved was 'Kawarau Jet'. 7 other people were injured.
Sarah Katie Bond - A British tourist who died from her injuries during a quad bike trek run by 'Waitomo Big Red' 30km west of Waitomo Caves last August.
Emily Jordan - A British tourist who drowned whilst riverboarding with 'Mad Dog River Boarding' on the Kawarau river. The company was fined NZ$66,000. (US$46,000)
Catherine Peters - A New Zealand university student who died from her injuries after falling from the Ballance Bridge Swing.
Six students and a teacher - Died in a canyoning exercise with the Sir Edmund Hilary Outdoor Centre, the centre was fined NZ$44,000.
Rosemary Berry, a semi retired Australian tourist broke an arm and shoulder whilst skiing and sustained other injuries after she fell over an metal track left in the snow at the Cardrona Ski Resort. The company subsequently tried to appeal against its conviction of fines and costs totalling almost $60,000.

"Let's LAy Down Law On Riverboarding"

27 August - By Frank Marvin in 'Scene.co.nz'

"A Queenstown whitewater expert is calling on maritime cops to regulate riverboarding.

Stefan Crawford, 41, was speaking after last week’s harrowing trial of Mad Dog River Boarding and owner Brad McLeod after the Kawarau River death of English tourist Emily Jordan in April, 2008.

Crawford says Maritime New Zealand polices rafting and jetboating but not riverboarding – and they should. “I’d like to see MNZ become more actively involved with riverboarding and sledging to work towards some similar regulations to benefit the industry.”

Other than prosecuting health and safety breaches – like Mad Dog’s – MNZ has a hands-off approach to riverboarding, whose only sanction is a voluntary industry code...."

More of the article appears: here

For more about the death of Emily Jordan and Mad Dog River Boarding who were said to have been operating in a "regulatory vacuum" please see pages: Emily Jordan

For today's posts click here

Chris Jordan To Lobby Key And The Letterman Show Coup

For more about the trial and events following it see: Emily Jordan

Chris Jordan, father of Emily Jordan who drowned in a River Boarding 'accident' in New Zealand in April 2008 on Monday called for legislation to be introduced to govern river boarding in the country: (RadioNZ)

"Mr Jordan believes his daughter died because the industry was unregulated and Mad Dog River Boarding ran a "cowboy" operation.

He said resources must be found to govern the industry and called for stringent regulations introduced to stop another death from happening.

"It's not acceptable to say (New Zealand's) a small country, we don't have the resource to do it - because you're actually taking the money off individuals ... who believe that it's safe.

"So if you're prepared to take the money, you've got to have the safety procedures in place."

He has also stated he intends to lobby Prime Minister John Key (who is also Minister for Tourism) in order to

"highlight the need for "good quality legislation" to push for regulations to replace voluntary guidelines governing safety in extreme sports industries.

When told that person was John Key, who is also the Prime Minister, Mr Jordan said he would be "the right person to talk to".

Staff in Mr Key's office said yesterday, when contacted, they could not comment on the issue, but Mr Jordan's concerns would be "welcome".

Well, at least Mr Jordan didn't get the 'Castle-Hughes brush off'. We wish him well in his is endeavour, he's going to have an uphill battle on his hands.

PR and Spin

NZ is very conscious of how it is perceived abroad, it may well be that Mr Jordan may achieve more on the international stage than he will within NZ.

It will be interesting to watch how this is 'spun' from now on, if a tight lid will be put on it all and New Zealanders close ranks on this.

The director of 'Mad Dog' Brad Mcleod is already supposed to have requested that media questions be "directed to a public relations company and said he would decide over the next week whether he would make a statement". So much for an industry that "can't afford" to invest money in safety.

South Island is presently holding the Winter Games NZ until 30 August and will be hosting the rugby world cup in 2011. Every effort is likely to be made to smooth out the adverse publicity this case has caused, more so because it's been announced that the tourism minister (aka John Key, the Prime Minister) is going to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman to "sell New Zealand to worldwide tourism'.

Is it just a coincidence that the 'Mad Dog' trial suddenly ended early with a plea bargain just 3 days before the triumphant PR announcement about the show was made? Call me a cynic but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there had been some pressure to minimise any and all adverse publicity about tourism (there were two separate court hearings being held into deaths of young women in adventure sports in New Zealand) with the news about the Letterman show about to leak at any time. As they say, 'timing is everything'.

Other recent tourism related deaths (I won't include injuries and assaults right now because there are so many so see below) include

British man Thomas Donaldson who died after sand surfing in the Far North.

Chinese tourist Yan Wang, who drowned in a river when she became trapped beneath a jet boat.

British backpacker Sarah Katie Bond who fell 50m to her death in Waitomo after losing control of a hired quad bike.

Six NZ students and a teacher from Auckland's Elim College were swept to their deaths on a river canyoning trip in the Mangatepopo Gorge. (source NZ Herald)

In June 2009 Massey Univesity's Dr Tim Bentley has said that the number of tourist adventure injuries in NZ rivals that of road injuries and that -

"statistics mean New Zealand is on its way to being regarded as an unsafe destination. "In the US and Japan, people are already being advised not to come here because of the dangers. Tourism is our principal industry and these accidents are making a massive impact....

There's also doubt about the ability of the Adventure Tourism industry to manage the risk to clients. "There are lots of small, unregulated companies out there with a seasonal workforce that comes and goes. There is also the danger that without the protection of ACC, people will start suing. In the US, travel companies have already been taken to court."

See: 'Tourist adventure injuries rival road injuries'

Catherine Peters' Swing Bridge Death - Manslaughter Trial Starts

On the day that the trial of Mad Dog river boarding was so very neatly wrapped up another trial started into the circumstances surrounding another adventure tourism related death in New Zealand.

Catherine Peters, an 18 year old student in her first year of a veterinary degree at Massey University died in March from injuries sustained when she fell 20 metres from the Ballance Bridge in the Manawatu Gorge, near Woodville. She was participating in a commercially-run bridge swing exercise with Massey University's alpine club, organised by Crag Adventures.

In March the director of Crag Adventures, Alistair McWhannell 47, from Palmerston North was charged with manslaughter.

Today at Palmerston North District Court a depositions hearing was told "she did not jump from the bridge, but was thrown by request, and the man charged with causing her death through carelessness was one of those who threw her." (source 3News) The Crown said that Mr McWhannell "had overseen 80 jumps from the bridge (and) failed to take proper care with Ms Peters' second jump" (Source Radio New Zealand)

According to a report on the news site Stuff.co.nz the court was also told that bridge swing was dangerous in that "the rope was allegedly too long and not tied off properly."

The hearing is expected to run for the next 4 days.

Emily Jordan Death & Mad Dog Riverboarding Trial - Father's Response

"The appalling...ridiculous way she died has just been very upsetting. It was just so preventable at every stage and the impact on us is there forever" Chris Jordan, father of Emily Jordan (TVNZ)

Please take some time to listen to his very articulate comments and recommendations in a Radio NZ interview link:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/ckpt/2009/08/24/company_pleads_guilty_to_2_charges_over_tourist_death

The company is liable for a maximum fine of $250,000 on each of the two charges and sentencing will take place on Tuesday.

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

Mad Dog River Boarding Company Pleads Guilty But 4 Charges Dropped.

As I predicted on Friday a deal was struck in the trial of Mcleod and the Mad Dog River boarding company in connection with the death of British tourist Emily Jordan, before the defence presented its case. Despite the trial going well a shocking three charges against McLeod and one against the company were dropped on Monday, and the company pleaded guilty to the two remaining charges. Sentencing will be carried out later today. (source TVNZ)

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

Emily's father Chris Jordan is in New Zealand attending the trial. Before he left England he told Worcestershire local newspaper The Shuttle

"that the family want to see changes to the health and safety laws in New Zealand to better protect people who take part in extreme sports.

“We also want to see an inquest, which we haven’t seen yet,” Mr Jordan told the paper last week.

The Jordan family have set up a charity, The Emily Jordan Foundation, to “help individuals with moderate learning and physical disabilities to lead fulfilled lives”.

Our condolences on the passing of Emily go out to her family and friends and to Mr Jonathan Armour and his family. May her death not have been in vain.

For background see:

Riverboarding company operating in a regulatory vacuum

Mad Dog Riverboarding company in court

Emily Jordan not briefed about how to escape

Boyfriend critical about the safety briefing

Rescue approach "ill educated"

Emily Jordan Riverboarding Death: Court Told Doubts About Mad Dog's Safe Operational Plan. UPDATED

Picture Birmingham Mail

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

From ODT 21 August

"Allegations a company did not have an "industry standard" safe operational plan and was "irresponsible" for not carrying a rope were some of the issues discussed at length by Maritime New Zealand's whitewater sports expert witness in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.

In the prosecution following the death of English tourist Emily Jordan during a river boarding trip on the Kawarau River on April 29 last year, Maritime New Zealand's whitewater sports expert witness, Donald Calder, said while the company's safe operational plan at the time noted risks in the river, there were no steps shown to "eliminate, isolate or minimise hazards".

"I do not consider the Mad Dog safe operational plan meets industry standards."

...On the day, Ms Jordan and her boyfriend, Jonathan Armour, went on the river-boarding trip, former Mad Dog operations manager Nicholas Kendrick had noted the Kawarau River was low and the rock in Frogz Eddy which Ms Jordan became trapped on was a hazard.

On Tuesday, Mr Kendrick said he had decided to continue with plans to include the section of river but with a directive to keep all clients to river right, in a wider channel past the rock.

Mr Calder told Judge Callaghan he would have either started below that rapid or brought everyone to a calm eddy on the left hand bank and individually escorted them past the rock.

He said clients in a line often swung wider at the "tail" of the group as their reactions were based on those of the person in front of them and a delay down the chain "compounds the error through the group", Mr Calder said.

He believed that was how Mr Armour and Anne Nichols, of the United States, drifted too far left and had to be helped past the rock.

Also too far left, Ms Jordan was swept on to the rock, where she was trapped under water.

Mr Calder disagreed with Mr Kendrick's evidence that a jet ski, at 350kg, would pose too much of a threat to people in the water and was not manoeuvrable enough in rescue situations.

Mr Calder said he had witnessed jet skis at the section of river and they had "good manoeuvrability and can be placed where needed".

"I consider having a jet ski available throughout the trip . . . is one practicable step Mad Dog should have taken."

He stated in his evidence that he considered Mad Dog "was irresponsible by not carrying the rope" - an item "most professionals would say is one of the few basic pieces of equipment . . . for all water activities".

However, defence counsel Michael Parker questioned Mr Calder's claim a 15m rope would have been long enough to rig a pulley system around rocks in the area.

Mr Calder said it would not have reached a second rock, but was long enough to have doubled a person's pulling power on the day.

When asked by Mr Parker if he accepted the rescue was not "straightforward", Mr Calder said had there been a rope, "it should have been a very straightforward rescue".

There had been moves to better regulate the river boarding, sledging or surfing industry before Ms Jordan's death - Mr Calder had kayaked on the Kawarau River shadowing both Mad Dog and Serious Fun River Surfing in January 2008 before Ms Jordan drowned.

Having observed both companies, one of the issues he later discussed with Maritime New Zealand was that the life jackets used were "not fit" for white water."

UPDATE 22 August

Looks like a deal is about to be struck before the defence even presents its case: River-boarding parties hoping for 'outcome'

"Yesterday, on the fifth day of the proceedings, the presentation of the prosecution's evidence was halted as a series of meetings were held between Maritime New Zealand representatives, the prosecution and defence lawyers and McLeod.

About midday, Maritime New Zealand prosecuting counsel Brent Stanaway told Judge Brian Callaghan both parties had agreed to apply for an adjournment until noon on Monday.

Mr Stanaway said the matter was "likely to be resolved" at that point, with "an outcome" at the hearing.

Judge Callaghan agreed to the adjournment. "

See also:

Rafting company operated in a regulatory vacuum

Mad Dog Riverboarding company in court

Emily Jordan not briefed about how to escape

Boyfriend critical about the safety briefing

Rescue approach "ill educated"

Emily Jordan River Boarding Death - Rescue Approach "ill educated"

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

ODT 20 August

"A whitewater sports expert has told a Queenstown court hearing that a rescue rope could have saved the life of a young English woman who drowned while riverboarding in the Kawarau Gorge last year.

The belief that ropes and knives could become hazards themselves in white-water situations was "ill-informed and uneducated", a white-water rafting guide and former New Zealand kayaking representative told Judge Brian Callaghan in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.

Appearing as Maritime New Zealand's expert witness in the prosecution following the death of English tourist Emily Jordan during a Mad Dog River Boarding trip on the Kawarau River last year, Donald Calder said carrying a rope would have increased the guides' chances of rescuing her alive.....

.....On the third day of the hearing, Mr Calder said although there were differences between white-water activities such as kayaking, rafting and river boarding, once a person was out of their vessel, they were all in the same situation.

All white-water participants should expect entrapments because they were "fairly common" and in the past 23 years, he had been involved in a number of entrapment rescues - including of himself.

Although ropes in throw bags did not guarantee a successful rescue, Mr Calder said "most" did, while "some have involved injury and some death".

He said all white-water guides should have as much training as possible in rescue techniques, and river rescue courses were "an integral part" of New Zealand's rafting industry.

He considered it "unhelpful" the recent version of Mad Dog's safety plan had removed a requirement for guides to attend a swift-water rescue training course.

There was also "no excuse" for people in a white-water situation not to carry a throw bag with rope..."

More here: Rescue approach ill-informed: guide

Emily Jordan Riverboarding Death - Boyfriend Critical Of Risks Briefing

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

Johnathan Armour, Emily Jordan's boyfriend (see 'British woman Emily Jordan's death' and 'Emily Jordan not briefed on how to escape') today gave evidence via video link from the UK to the court hearing in New Zealand. He criticised the safety briefing given to the couple prior to their river boarding experience, saying if he'd been better informed about the possible dangers he wouldn't have gone. According to the Otago Daily Times a guide on the trip and Mad Dog Operations manager Nicholas Kendrick told the court:

"he had been through the rapid, where Ms Jordan was stuck, about 2000 times and there had never been an issue with being trapped.When asked if they should have given people more information about the dangers of being entrapped, Mr Kendrick said they did not want to scare people about to go on a trip.

The safety briefings gave people as much information as they needed to know while providing guides with an opportunity to assess people's abilities."We tell clients it is a full-on activity and the river is a dangerous place," Mr Kendrick said. The guides made sure the clients were paying attention - "we make them take off their sunglasses . . . no talking . . . we make sure they are listening," he said."Throughout the training process we are trying to motivate clients so they have the right mindset to attack the rapids," he said. "[We tell them] positive actions they can do and not scare them with the dangers."

There had been a waiver raising a possibility of injury, death or damage to personal property and at least three safety briefings.

But Mr Armour said the tone had not been serious and there was no indication that should anyone be entrapped, rescue was not assured, nor were they told methods to get out of entrapment."

Anne Nichols, an American woman who was also on the trip told the court the guides' manner had made some of the serious information seem like jokes:

"Despite previous whitewater rafting experience, Ms Nichols said the trip was "uncomfortable" and "dangerous".

When asked by defence counsel Michael Parker if she made the judgement with "the benefit of hindsight", Ms Nichols said she could have told him after the first rapid.

Ms Jordan had been confident in water, Mr Armour said.However, she fell off her board after the second rapid and he helped her back on just before the Frogz Eddy rapid where she died.

Mr Armour indicated they drifted further left than instructed and a guide pushed him back to the right hand side of the rock.When looking back for Ms Jordan he instead saw an "unmanned board" on the left side of the rock and a hand above the water.

Mr Kendrick said there had been a lengthy attempt to dislodge Ms Jordan who was wedged, possibly in a crevice, around her chest.During that time, the lead on her wrist snapped and when they grabbed her lifejacket it came off.

After a Serious Fun River Surfing group arrived and a rope was obtained, six guides from both companies managed to tie it around her arm and after about another five minutes, Ms Jordan was freed.

However, she could not be resuscitated."

Since the tragedy Maritime NZ has issued guidelines for riverboarding, does this mean that up up until the time of Miss Jordan's death there weren't any?

"Mr Kendrick believed there would have been no way to rescue Ms Jordan alive even if a rope had been used sooner, as it had taken six people more than five minutes of hauling to free her.

He said since the incident, Maritime New Zealand had issued a number of river boarding guidelines - many of which the company already followed. One of the new guidelines was to carry a rope and carabiners."

See 'Riverboarding company operating in a regulatory vacuum'

"Has adventure tourism gone too far?"
from travelgeneration.com 1 May 2009

"Queenstown in New Zealand, Bariloche in Argentina, Interlaken in Switzerland and Cairns in Australia all pride themselves as world adventure tourism meccas. But unfortunately none of them are without serious injuries or death to paying customers in the last few years. The recent spate of adventure tourism related accidents in Queenstown alone (six serious injuries including at least 3 deaths in the last 12 months) and the death of two travellers on Fraser Island Australia last week has got me thinking - has adventure tourism gone too far?

As we as humans seek more and more adrenalised activities are we putting too much trust into the hands of profit driven adventure tourism operators?.....read on here

Emily Jordan Not Briefed About How To Escape, Boyfriend To Give Evidence

picture Daily Mail

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

From worcesternews.co.uk Monday 17 August

"A FORMER Worcester schoolgirl who died taking part in an extreme sport was not briefed about how to escape in an emergency, a court was told.

Emily Jordan, of Trim-pley, near Bewdley, was riverboarding in the Kawarau River Gorge near Queenstown on New Zealand’s south island in April last year.

The former Alice Ottley School (which has now merged with the Royal Grammar School) student became trapped between rocks and drowned. Now 16 months since the accident, the adventure trip operator and its director are standing trial over health and safety failings.

During the first day of the trial yesterday, the court was told how employees of Mad Dog River Boarding did not tell the group how to escape if they got trapped.

The court was also told how company director Brad McLeod’s boat carried neither throw-bags nor ropes the day 21-year-old Miss Jordan died.McLeod and his company face three charges each over Miss Jordan’s death, including failing to ensure the actions or inaction of employees did not harm Miss Jordan Other charges, which have been laid under the Health and Safety Employment Act 1992, are failure to take all practical steps to ensure the safety of employees and the prevention of possible hazards."

From Yahoo.co.nz

"The boyfriend of an English tourist who died while riverboarding with a Queenstown company last year will give evidence by video link at the company's trial.

British woman Emily Jordan, 21, drowned after becoming trapped by rocks while riverboarding on the Kawarau River Gorge last April, on an outing organised by Black Sheep Adventures Ltd, which trades as Mad Dog River Boarding.

Director Brad McLeod and his company deny three charges each laid by Maritime New Zealand under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

Yesterday, prosecutors told Queenstown District Court Mr McLeod's boat was not carrying throw-bags or ropes the day Ms Jordan drowned.

The company was taking tourists on excursions when the river level was unusually low and had not briefed them on how to escape if trapped when riding on the modified wakeboard, the court was told.

Ms Jordan had been under water for about 20 minutes before a boat operated by another company came along. The crew of the second boat used ropes to retrieve her body.

Her boyfriend, Jonny Armour, was standing on the riverbank while rescuers recovered her corpse.

He and an American woman, who was also on the trip, will give evidence in the trial by videolink from London and New York respectively."

See also:

Emily Jordan's Death: Mad Dog Riverboarding in court

Family of drowned woman says NZ government have kept it in the dark

Father questions safety after river sports death

Rope, Knife may have saved life

British Woman Emily Jordan's Death: Mad Dog Riverboarding Company In Court

See other posts about the trial here: Emily Jordan

From Stuff:

"Mad Dog River Boarding director Brad McLeod is in Queenstown District Court today defending charges laid by Maritime New Zealand after a tourist died on one of the company's excursions.

British woman Emily Jordan, 21, drowned after becoming trapped between two rocks while riverboarding on the Kawarau River Gorge last April.

The outing was organised by Black Sheep Adventures Ltd, which trades as Mad Dog River Boarding.

Mr McLeod and his company deny three charges each laid under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

The hearing is expected to take five days."

Emily's death came just two weeks after six high school students and a teacher were drowned on a canyoning expedition with the Sir Edmund Hilary Outwardbound Centre during inclement weather. The centre was later prosecuted, pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and $440,000 in reparations. Read: 'A year of death on the nation's rivers'

SundayMercury.net 5 May 2008:

"Graduate reveals her terror on NZ rapids which killed Emily Jordan"

A UNIVERSITY graduate last night revealed her own terrifying ordeal tackling the same New Zealand rapids which claimed the life of Midlander Emily Jordan.

Emma Hollindrake, 22, went river-boarding in the Kawarau River gorge just a week before the tragic 21 year-old Worcester student drowned.

Both girls had booked their trips with Queenstown-based Mad Dog River Boarding Company.

Emma told the Sunday Mercury last night: "It was the worst experience of my life - I was absolutely petrified.

"I felt under-confident in my ability on the board which made me worry that I would do something wrong and end up in serious bother. At one point I was almost in tears".....

....On its website, Mad Dog River Boarding Company insists the sport is suited to people who only need "reasonable swimming ability".

Yet the riverboard trip includes six rapids lasting 45 minutes and, according to the site, "leads participants down the mighty Kawarau River, blasting through the infamous Roaring Meg rapids."

But Emma, a Nottingham University graduate who is now travelling the world, questioned the company's safety procedures.

She said: "With Mad Dog there were a few elements which made me doubt that I was as safe as I possibly could be.

"The goggles did not fit, the group was too big and there were not enough guides.

"You are trying your best to stay in control and on your board, and heading down the rapids is hard enough given the space to do it. But in such a large group you often knock into people, knocking you off-course which can be pretty dangerous on a rapid.

"On our trip, there were four guides, that left them with five people each which was not enough to ensure my feeling of safety for the whole trip as it is such a demanding experience.

"Also, the guides told us that we should stay in their paths and turn our boards either right or left when told to do so.

"But as you are being dragged by the river I found that quite frequently you could be in between two different groups, and two different guides, and be too far away to hear or see the signal of when to turn your board.

"The guides were also reluctant to let us not participate.

"Me and one girl went over the first rapid together and she hated it. The guys had to come and assist her and were almost shouting at her when she told them that she did not feel comfortable to continue.

"She did get out of the water but only because she kicked up a fuss. This made me feel uncomfortable about also trying to get out as they were clearly not happy with the situation, so I continued down the river.

"But at one point I swallowed an awful lot of water and was struggling to get my breath back. I shouted to one of the guides that I wasn't sure if I could continue and he told me there was absolutely no way of getting out.""

The UK's Daily Mail also published information from a tourist who'd been riverboarding in NZ:

Photo Daily Mail

"Heather Findlay, 25, who went river-boarding in New Zealand last year, said it was terrifying.

'I got sucked into one rapid called the Man Eater - I couldn't catch my breath and thought I was going to drown.

'I just got caught up in the undercurrent and it kept swirling me around.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1017483/British-backpacker-21-drowns-New-Zealand-rides-rapids-bodyboard.html#ixzz0OUD2mSHj

Read more about other concerns over the safety of outdoor activities in NZ: Outdoor adventure in NZ It is thought that the number of tourist adventure injuries in NZ rivals that of road injury victims (New Zealand's road toll is twice that of the UK's )

Sarah Bond Quad Bike Death - Prosecution Brought

from TVNZ

"A Waikato adventure tourism company is to face charges over the death of a British backpacker in a quad bike accident a year ago.
Sarah Katie Bond, 24, died when she lost control of her quad bike and fell 50m down a steep bank on the Te Anga farm, 30km west of Waitomo Caves, last August.
She was part of a group on a day trip with Waitomo Big Red at the time.
The company will next month defend two charges laid by the Department of Labour in Te Kuiti District Court over her death, the Weekend Herald reported.
One charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act relates to the duty of people who control a workplace to take all practicable steps to ensure that people are not harmed. The second charge under the Machinery Act relates to the operation of an amusement device.
The adventure company has been run by father-and-daughter team Bill and Sarah Johnston for more than 10 years.
Mr Johnston declined to comment before the court case."

This prosecution is thought to be the seventh brought this year for an adventure activity related fatal accident (a total of 10 deaths)

The other cases relate to the death of British woman Emily Jordan who drowned whilst riverboarding, Catherine Peters who died in a fall from the Ballance Bridge Swing (Emily Jordan and Sarah Bond were British tourists) And six students and a teacher who drowned whilst canyoning in the Mangatepopo Gorge near Turangi.
For more on adventure tourism see Outdoor adventure in NZ

Tourist Adventure Injuries Rival Road Injuries

"The number of overseas tourists injured in adventure tourism activities is close to the number who sustain injuries from driving.

This startling figure has emerged from research into injury and fatalities amongst overseas tourists by Massey University's Dr Tim Bentley.

Dr Bentley, from the Centre of Tourism Research at the University's Albany campus, examined 15 years of hospital discharge and fatality data, to determine the extent of the adventure tourism problem. The project also involved Dr David Chalmers of the Injury Prevention Unit at the University of Otago.

Adventure tourism accounted for 18% of injuries to overseas visitors admitted to hospital between 1982 and 1996 and 22% of fatalities from 1979 to 1995. Of those, 50% resulted from mountaineering and tramping. The adventure tourism injury rate is 8 per 100,000, compared with 12 per 1000,000 for injuries while driving, despite the fact that many more tourists drive than take part in adventure activities.

Dr Bentley says such statistics mean New Zealand is on its way to being regarded as an unsafe destination. "In the US and Japan, people are already being advised not to come here because of the dangers. Tourism is our principal industry and these accidents are making a massive impact."

The research also shows that bungy-jumping, jet boating and rafting, all covered by government regulations, have much lower injury counts than cycling and horse riding, while skiing, tramping and mountaineering involve the greatest risk. They are largely unregulated and participants are in the biggest at-risk group of males in their 20's. Dr Bentley says those findings highlight the need for a regulatory code of practice for a wider range of Adventure Tourism activities.

There's also doubt about the ability of the Adventure Tourism industry to manage the risk to clients. "There are lots of small, unregulated companies out there with a seasonal workforce that comes and goes. There is also the danger that without the protection of ACC, people will start suing. In the US, travel companies have already been taken to court."

Dr Bentley says people who go out on their own are more likely to be killed, not those involved in commercial adventure tourism but the perception may be different."

15,000 injuries in 12 months

A 2007 injury study carried by Tim Bentley revealed that there were 15,000 cases involving adventure tourism and adventure sport in New Zealand over a 12 month period.

"As found in previous studies in New Zealand, highest claim counts were observed for activities that are often undertaken independently, rather than commercially. Horse riding, tramping, surfing and mountain biking were found to have highest claim counts, while hang gliding/paragliding/parasailing and jet boating injuries had highest claim costs, suggesting greatest injury severity. Highest claim incidence was observed for horse riding, with female claimants over-represented for this activity. Younger male claimants comprised the largest proportion of adventure injuries, and falls were the most common injury mechanism."

Adventure Tourism Industry Safety

The death of 6 high schools students and their teacher on an outward bound course resulted in the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoors Centre being ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and $440,000 in reparations.

The tragic deaths stunned the nation when the school party drowned in a rapidly flooding gorge after warnings of heavy rain weren't acted upon.

Following the court case the Department of Labour urged the adventure tourism industry to look critically at its health and safety systems in light of the Mangatepopo canyon trekking tragedy. A lot should've been learned, but has it?

A lot has already been written about the tragedy on the net so I won't go over it again, I'll just point interested readers towards an excellent thread by Steve Howe on Backpacker blogs, from which the following snippet was taken

"We Americans and our media tend to point fingers hard and fast after adventure fatalities, but Kiwis apparently follow the opposite philosophy to an almost surreal extreme. The prevailing New Zealand attitude seems to be that adventure requires risk, adventurers shouldn’t be coddled, the OPC is very professional, and no one could have predicted what happened. And I’d like to believe that, but it just doesn’t wash.

We’re not talking about adventure or adventurers here, we’re talking about high school students contracted to a commercial guide service for adventure training. When you combine risky pursuits, young guides, novice clients, and business volume, the standards have to be higher than ‘everyone knew the risk’ simply because everyone doesn’t. And that’s particularly true of canyoneering, which combines fun but risky activities like rappels, pool jumps, and whitewater swimming with sexy scenery and aerobic ease – the perfect combination for marketable adventure.

But canyons are also very committing. IMHO, slick pouroffs, whitewater currents, undercut boulders, logjams, rockfalls, flash floods, and difficulty of retreat make them generally unsuited to volume guiding or team-building exercises. And the New Zealand version of ‘canyoning’ differs greatly from American-style ‘canyoneering.’ Canyoning often involves precision pool leaps from high cliffs, or necky whitewater swims above the brink of waterfalls, risks that American outfitters would never incorporate into their operating plan.

I’m a firm believer that sudden accidents rarely happen suddenly. With a little forethought and a few case histories under your belt, you can often see accident situations setting up hours, days, even weeks in advance. I’m not interested in doing a long distance Bill Frist/Terry Schiavo diagnosis here. Lessons will indeed be learned from the investigations now underway. But I suspect those lessons were already in plentiful supply. And as evidence, I offer the following recent canyoneering incidents, each with a brief outline, news links, and perhaps a few details that never made it into the media. The similarities are obvious. The gist? Hike safe mate"
Read on http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/126

If all else fails I guess there's always the 'New Zealand Life Back Promise’ to fall back on?

British Newspaper Publishes "Suicide Hill" Story

According to the UK's Telegraph newspaper part of the Omapere sand dunes is known locally as "suicide hill"

Source: Telegraph, UK

By John Bingham and Paul Chapman

"(Thomas Donaldson) died in hospital in Auckland on Wednesday after the "sand duning" accident in the north of the country 10 days ago.

Mr Donaldson, from the village of Duffield near Belper, Derbyshire, was riding down the slope on a boogie board - a form of surf board - with three friends at Omapere, 160 miles north west of Auckland, last Monday when he ran into difficulties.

He was airlifted to hospital in nearby Whangerei with head injuries before being transferred to Auckland where he was placed on a life support machine.

His father Michael, 58, a GP in Belper, and mother Jacqueline, 51, are believed to have been at his bedside when the machine was switched off on Wednesday.

A relative at the family home said that they had flown to New Zealand following news of the accident last week.

Staff at Ecclesbourne School near Derby, where Mr Donaldson was head boy, described him as a "wonderful and popular young man of huge promise".

"His life was a positive influence on many others and the impact of this news has been profound," said a spokesman for the school.

"Tom's family are in our thoughts and prayers."

Sand duning is a cross between snow boarding and surfing in which enthusiasts ride down a steep embankment on a board either standing up or on their stomachs.

Known for its dramatic dunes Omapere has become popular with enthusiasts and has specially marked safe slopes.

But one local witness claimed that the four men had been riding outside a safe area on a near-300ft high embankment with a 90 degree drop at the bottom.

Visitors are frequently warned against boarding on the slope nicknamed "Suicide Hill".

His companions, who have not been named, reached the bottom but Mr Donaldson landed badly, local reports said.

It is thought the board may have dug into the sand sending him tumbling on.

The others, who also had medical training, gave first aid at the scene before he was airlifted by a rescue helicopter.

The home of bungee jumping, New Zealand has become a Mecca for fans of extreme sports in recent years.

But it carries risks. Recently two Australian brothers died when they were hit by falling ice after crossing viewing barriers at a glacier.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that the family were receiving consular assistance in New Zealand."