Company to be sentenced over rock climbing tragedy

Rescue boats search the seas around Paritutu Rock for the two students and instructor who went missing after plunging from the rock into stormy seas. Photo / Christine Cornege

An adventure company charged after three climbers were swept to their deaths off Taranaki's Paritutu Rock will be sentenced tomorrow.

The Taranaki Outdoor Pursuits and Education Centre (Topec) pleaded guilty to three health and safety charges over the deaths of instructor Bryce Jourdain, 42, and Spotswood College students Stephen Kahukaka-Gedye and Felipe Melo, both 17.

The trio were swept out to sea on August 8 last year while rock-climbing as part of a group at Paritutu Rock.

Topec pleaded guilty in June to three charges laid by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's health and safety group.

The charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act carry a maximum fine of $250,000 each.

Topec will be sentenced in the New Plymouth District Court tomorrow.

The company admitted failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of Mr Jourdain; failing to take all practicable steps to ensure its employees' actions or inaction harmed any other person; and failing to take all practicable steps to ensure a volunteer instructor from Germany was not exposed to the hazards of high and powerful seas.

A fourth charge, with a maximum penalty of $500,000, was dropped when the company pleaded in June.

Topec had been charged with failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no workplace hazard - in this case, high and powerful seas - harmed people who had given consent and paid to undertake an activity there.

Police also investigated the tragedy but concluded there was no criminal culpability on any person or organisation. Police referred the matter to the coroner.