Exclusive: Far North tourism operator to face trial after ‘preventable’ sandboarding death of Korean man

Sand boarders at the Te Paki dunes. Photo / file

A Kaitaia tour company is to face trial after a Korean visitor died in front of his horrified family while sandboarding, the Herald can reveal.

The 68-year-old man was allegedly hit by a tour bus at the Te Paki dunes on February 4, 2019.

Early next month, Sand Safaris 2014 Ltd will face a judge-alone-trial at the Kaitaia District Court on a health and safety charge brought by Worksafe.

A Worksafe spokesman said the company was charged under Section 36 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, requiring a person or business to ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, that the health and safety of other people is not put at risk from work carried out by a business.

It is understood the company was charged early in 2020 and later pleaded not guilty. The fact of the charge was not publicly reported until now.

Garth Petricevich, a director of Sand Safaris, declined to comment.

“I’d prefer not to say anything until after the trial,” he said.

Police Inspector Wayne Ewers said the man died about 1.40pm as he sandboarded down the dunes at Te Paki towards a stream.

It appeared neither he nor the bus driver saw each other, Ewers said at the time.

The man’s death was witnessed by a large group of people, including the victim’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The family had been planning to return to South Korea in the following days.

The driver of the bus was badly shaken but not injured, Ewers said.

Sand Safaris offers tours of 90 Mile beach and Cape Reinga, and provides free sandboards at the Te Paki dunes, its website says.

If convicted, the company faces a maximum penalty of a $1.5 million fine.