River boarding conviction a 'wake-up call'

The conviction and $146,000 in fines and reparation handed down to a Queenstown white water tourism company following the death of an English tourist is a wake-up call for all such companies, says Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).

Mad Dog River Boarding was today fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparation to the family of drowned British tourist Emily Jordan.

The company yesterday pleaded guilty in Queenstown District Court to two charges relating to the death of Ms Jordan, 21, who drowned in the Kawarau River in April last year when trapped under a rock underwater for 20 minutes while her boyfriend watched from the riverbank.

The company and its director, Brad McLeod, were facing three charges each of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of their customers, employees and other client, brought under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

Yesterday three charges against McLeod and one against the company were dropped, and the company pleaded guilty to the remaining two charges.

The court was told last week that Mad Dog guides carried no ropes and the company's safety plan was not up to industry standards.

Guides from another river boarding company retrieved Ms Jordan's body within minutes, using rescue ropes.

MNZ investigations manager Steve van der Splinter said the conviction was a wake-up call to others in the white water industry.

The investigation found several steps Mad Dog could have taken to manage hazards on the river that day.

"Health and safety legislation is there for a good reason -- to safeguard people's lives," Mr van der Splinter said.

The Act was clear that responsibility for safely at all times fell squarely on the shoulders of operators, which meant they must keep up to date with current industry best practice, he said.

"The Act applies to all operators, no matter what area they work in the adventure tourism industry.

"In this case, there was a wide gap between the normal accepted industry-wide standards of safety practised by other white water operators and those used by Mad Dog."

Miss Jordan's father Chris Jordan travelled from England last week to attend the hearing.

"This has been a tragic case and all our sympathies are with the Jordan family," Mr van der Splinter said.

"We hope the result today brings at least a little comfort for them."

He said the vast majority of operators were responsible and operated at the very highest level of safety standards.

- NZPA