A man killed when he fell down a waterfall on his way to a Rugby World Cup game died because of poor judgment calls, including climbing a safety barrier, an inquest has found.
Ian Oliver Randall, 39, originally from England, died at Maruia Falls near Murchison, southwest of Nelson, on September 30 last year.
He and a group of workmates had decided to make the trip from his home at Kaiapoi, north of Christchurch, to Nelson for a Rugby World Cup game.
During a rest stop at Maruia Falls about 5.30pm, Randall and a colleague headed for the waterfall lookout point, climbing the waist-high barrier to get a closer look.
On his way down the rocks, Randall lost his footing and fell into a narrow channel of fast-flowing water where he drowned.
