Parents of killed tourists call for adventure sport licences

Emily Jordan died after becoming trapped under a rock in Central Otago's Kawarau River while on a trip with Queenstown's Mad Dog River Boarding. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The father of an English tourist killed in a river-boarding accident has started a group to push to license New Zealand adventure tourism operators.

Chris Jordan, father of Emily Jordan, who was killed near Queenstown in April 2008, had been joined by two family members of two other English tourists who had been killed in quad bike accidents, to set up the group pushing for tighter regulations.

"There will be new sports and they will be set up on a continual basis, and they need control before something like the situation that happened to Emily takes place. There is, as I see it, nothing to prevent that from happening," he told Radio New Zealand.

Mr Jordan said he hoped the loss of one of his family members could help prevent future deaths.

Emily Jordan was 21 when she drowned in Central Otago's Kawarau River after being trapped under a rock underwater for 20 minutes.

Queenstown's Mad Dog River Boarding was fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparation to the Jordan family after admitting two Health and Safety in Employment Act charges.

After the court case, Mr Jordan wrote a letter to Prime Minister John Key, which sparked an investigation and review of the sector.

- NZPA