Company fined after river guide's death

Tor Prestmo drowned in October 2007 after a rafting collision. Photo / Supplied

A Manawatu river rafting company has been fined $30,000 and ordered to pay $60,000 in reparation for 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 company he had worked for, River Valley Ventures, was last year found guilty of three of five charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

The charges related to failing to ensure the safety of employees, and failing to prevent workplace hazards.

In Palmerston North District Court today Judge Gregory Ross fined the company $30,000 and ordered it to make $60,000 in reparation to Mr Prestmo's family.

Judge Ross also entered judgments on the company's director and rafting manager, whose convictions were deferred at trial until today's sentencing.

Director Brian Leadson Megaw was found guilty of two charges relating to failing to take all practicable steps to prevent hazards in the workplace, while rafting manager Koryn John Gould was found guilty of one charge relating to failing to take all practicable steps to ensure Mr Prestmo's safety.

Two further charges against Megaw, and one against Gould, were dismissed.

Both men were discharged without conviction.

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

An investigation by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), which laid the charges, found the company had breached health and safety guidelines, which may have contributed to the fatal accident.

"This tragic accident highlights the need for all operators to ensure they take all practicable steps to identify and manage hazards in the place of work, and for the employer and employees to take responsibility for ensuring that these steps are followed at all times," MNZ manager of maritime investigations Steve van der Splinter said.

- NZPA