Rangitikei River Drownings

This afternoon there was was another tragic drowning in a NZ rafting river - the Rangitikei River near Bulls which has stretches of grade 4 and 5 white water. Police were said to be in attendance and visibly upset people were being comforted.

In October 2007 trainee guide Tor Prestmo, 24, from Norway, drowned when he was swept under water after a collision between two rafts on a grade five rapid on the same river. River Valley Ventures ltd. was later convicted for health and safety breaches*. See post Another Adventure Tourism Death Results in Prosecution - Tor Prestmo.

A year earlier a school student from Newcastle, Australia was trapped and nearly drowned just 15cm below the surface of this river whilst on a rafting expedition with River Valley Ventures. Source.
There were 30 students and 5 adults in the rafting the group.

The NZ Maritime Safety Authority's report into the student's entrapment stated:

"Guides will in the future carry fold up snorkels as part of their rescue
kit. The maximum effective length of a pipe/hose for breathing underwater is approximately 18cm. If using a hose from a raft pump, the hose can be cut to the right length."

Full report may be found here

Another fatality on the Rangitikei River occurred in October 2005 when Andy Warren, a member of a group of senior army personnel on a leadership course, drowned when he was thrown from the raft he was in (River Valley Ventures owned and operated the raft) Full report of the drowning here

Whilst it is too soon to say if this latest fatality is as a result of adventure tourism it does come at a time when the review of the Adventure Industry (initiated following a consistent and very public pressure by Emily Jordan's father Chris) has been put on the back burner because of a lack of 'buy-in' by industry operators and is already 2 months behind schedule.

Some countries have seen fit to advise their citizens of the dangers they may face in New Zealand. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers the following guidance: link

Local Travel

"There have been a number of tragic accidents involving British visitors; these also include extreme sporting accidents. If you intend to participate in extreme sports you should check that the company is well established in the industry and your insurance covers you. If you intend visiting remote areas, you should check with local tourist authorities for advice before setting out. You should ensure that you register your details with a Visitor Information Centre or family or friends. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous in some areas and you should keep yourself informed of regional weather forecasts."

Update
*River Valley was convicted of failing to take all practicable steps to protect the safety of Mr Prestmo, and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay $60,000 in reparation to his family.

See also: Teen who drowned in Rangitikei 'a good kid'. At the time of Steven Tuanau's death  there had already been three drownings in New Zealand this year.

On average (last 5 years) 114 New Zealanders per annum have died by drowning. New Zealand’s annual drowning toll is one of the worst in the developed world. (source)

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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

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