Canyoning Tragedy

[tanya]

It was with the usual emotions teenagers feel when they're about to embark on an adventure

[Felicia]

Very, very sad.

[Bo_Beck]

Very sad deal. Canyons certainly can be unforgiving. Definately gets a person thinking.

[Iceaxe]

Gorge to reopen two years after tragedy
By MIKE WATSON - The Dominion Post
31/03/2010

The Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre plans to reopen the Mangatepopo Gorge where a school group died nearly two years ago.

The gorge has been closed to school groups since April 15, 2008, when a party of six Elim Christian School pupils and their teacher drowned during a flash flood.

Coroner Christopher Devonport, of Hastings, made public his findings into the deaths yesterday.

The 38-page report says teacher Antony McClean and pupils Natasha Aimee Bray, Portia Caitlin McPhail, Huan "Tom" Hsu, Anthony Walter Mulder, Floyd Mariano Fernandes and Tara Rochelle Gregory, all of Auckland, died by drowning.

Complacency and an underestimation of the risks by OPC were among a list of factors that contributed to the deaths.

Lack of environmental awareness, use of historical information, instructor inexperience, lack of proper assessment of river water levels, inadequate communication between instructor, field manager and base and no crisis planalso contributed to the tragic deaths, the report says.

Mr Devonport makes 27 recommendations to prevent deaths in similar situations.

The recommendations include having two instructors assigned to a group, carrying two radios, and not entering the gorge within three hours of heavy rainfall.

Many outdoor experiences involve risk but that does not mean it is inappropriate that risks be taken, the report says. Death or serious injury is not acceptable to parents who have entrusted the care of their children to an organisation with skilled managers and instructors.

OPC acting chief executive Rupert Wilson said the Mangatepopo Gorge trip was an integral part of the outdoor programme. Trips into the gorge could begin again next summer after discussion with the school, victims' families and authorities, he said.

The coroners report was "fair and balanced".

"It sets out a helpful set of criteria for future use of the Mangatepopo Gorge."

OPC had listened "very carefully" to the coroner during the inquest in February.

"We have learnt from the tragedy and made a lot of changes. They are pretty sound, practical recommendations. There are a few technical challenges but there is nothing which can not be acted upon.

"The most important point is that trips into the gorge will not go ahead if there is a possibility of rain four or five hours prior to the trip starting," Mr Wilson said.

A radio repeater would be installed at the entrance of the gorge to ensure continuous communications between instructors in the gorge and base. None of the changes would incur significant extra costs to the trust.

Elim Christian School principal Murray Burton said the board of trustees had not made a decision on whether to resume school trips to the OPC.

"We will invite the OPC trust to make a presentation to us on the changes they have made before we make a decision."

Andy Bray said it was crushing to learn how complacent OPC had become. Mr Bray's daughter, Natasha, was one of the six pupils who drowned.

"It's really tragic that they could get so complacent and put children at risk. There were so many basic elements which they didn't follow – it was really crushing to hear.

"Adventure is good for people but it is not good putting people in mortal danger by reckless behaviour when basic rules are not followed."

Mr Bray said it showed policies at the centre were not acted on.

"It's bewildering to think they didn't close the gorge when it started raining heavily.

"Where was the common sense? They only had to walk outside and see how hard it was raining."

Mr Bray's two other teenagers would be encouraged to participate in outdoor activities at the centre. I wouldn't stop them, but I would make thorough inquiries who the instructor was going to be and how much experience they had."

How They Died

The Coroner's Court report on how the tragedy unfolded:

Instructor Jodie Sullivan and pupil Ashley Smith went first, linked together with a karabiner, and made it to the bank five metres before the dam.

"I was just taken off downstream and I kept going under the water ... my feet hit a rock and then my body turned ... I ended up going head first ... my feet went in between two rocks," Ashley said.

"Jodie grabbed on to another rock as I was reaching the dam and I was able to grab on to some rocks and just pulled myself up."

On the bank Ms Sullivan prepared to start "throwbagging" (throwing the rope to each pupil in the river).

Kish Proctor followed but on the far side of the stream and out of reach of the rope.

Underwater much of the time, he did not see Ms Sullivan until he had passed her.

Kish tried unsuccessfully to hold on to a wire across the dam and was swept over the spillway and downstream, hitting a log and rocks.

He lost his helmet, boots and a sock but made it to the bank.

Peter Shiih was next. He grabbed the rope and was assisted from the water.

At 4.05pm Ms Sullivan made radio contact with OPC staff and told them that she urgently needed help, and that people were in the water.

Portia McPhail followed.

She initially missed the rope thrown to her. As the current took the rope alongside her, she grabbed it but by that time she was over the dam and lost her hold.

Portia's body was recovered downstream.

Natasha Bray followed. She managed to grab the rope but went over the dam and lost her hold.

Natasha's body was recovered downstream.

Next were Floyd Fernandes and Anthony Mulder (who were attached to each other). They were unable to reach the rope.

Ashley Smith said: "Jodie threw the rope but, I don't know what happened, it didn't reach them – they were too far on the other side. I was standing there ... Floyd and Anthony looked at me and Floyd started calling out for help.

"Anthony lifted up his hand for me to grab but I couldn't reach it. I watched as they were thrown over the dam."

Both Floyd and Anthony's bodies were recovered downstream.

Tara Gregory followed. Her body was recovered downstream.

Sarah Brooks followed. Ms Sullivan threw the rope-bag to her but it fell short as she was in the middle of the stream.

Sarah managed to grab on to the wire rope across the gorge. She lost her grip with the force of the water and went over the dam, but survived.

Finally Huan "Tom" Hsu, attached to teacher Antony McClean, went over the dam. They could not hold on to the rope that Mr McClean had caught.

Their bodies were recovered further downstream.

Coroner's Suggestions

Hastings coroner Christopher Devonport made 27 recommendations to prevent deaths happening again in situations similar to the Mangatepopo Gorge drownings. They included:

- OPC staff to be more familiar with Mangatepopo Gorge catchment.

- More accurate maps of the gorge, showing high-water exit points, be made available to staff.

- More emphasis on training staff to assess rising water levels.

- Staff to monitor rainfall in catchment three hours before and during gorge trips.

- Take conservative approach entering gorge when it is raining before a trip.

- Maintain radio communication between base field manager and instructors in gorge.

- Two instructors, each with waterproof radios, per party on gorge trips.

- Radios to be kept on throughout trip.

- Fallback communication plan be available if radios fail.

- All those involved in gorge trip to be aware of exit points, and use of radios.

- Written plan of action for assistance if party is overdue.

- Government consider licensing all outdoor education/adventure operators for activities involving people under 18.

- MetService include severe weather warnings in regional forecasts.

- MetService prepare written forecast with preparation time of forecast displayed.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3531...-after-tragedy