KEY POINTS:
Maritime New Zealand will today inspect a jetboat that stalled and ran aground, injuring five people near Hanmer Springs in North Canterbury yesterday.
Mechanical failure is believed to have caused the accident on the Waiau River when 12 people, mainly tourists, were aboard the Thrillseekers Canyon Adventure jetboat when it hit exposed riverbed about 600m south of the Ferry Bridge, 7km from Hanmer Springs, just before midday.
The driver and four passengers were airlifted to Christchurch Hospital with minor back and neck injuries.
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) spokeswoman Julia Lang confirmed today an investigation was already under way.
Witnesses said the jetboat hit a rock and spun out, grounding on a shingle bank in the middle of the river.
One witness told The Press newspaper the boat stopped moments before the grounding when a noise was heard at the rear of the craft.
"The boat continued downstream and "it appeared as though the motor stopped and the steering jammed". "It would have been far worse had they flipped. They were very lucky," the witness, who declined to be named, said.
Brendon Lake, of the Hanmer Fire Brigade, said the five injured passengers "weren't that flash".
"The rest were walking wounded," he said.
Mr Lake said he didn't think any of the passengers were thrown from the boat.
Some passengers were immobilised on stretchers as a precaution in case of spinal injuries.
Thrillseekers, a major tourist operator in the Hanmer Springs thermal resort, runs five jetboats in thrill rides on the Waiau. Two of the company's five craft were used in the rescue and recovery effort yesterday.
A spokesman told NZPA the company would undertake its own investigation into the incident.
Ms Lang said a MNZ investigator and a jetboat expert would inspect the stricken craft today.
The investigator would also begin interviewing the driver, passengers and Thrillseekers staff.
Results of the investigation are unlikely to be made public for several months.
- NZPA
