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The death of Blenheim honeymooner Rebecca Stockwell at a resort in Fiji was an accident waiting to happen, say Kiwis who regularly visit the Pacific paradise.
The 27-year-old died from head injuries nine days ago after she was hit by an aluminium boat while snorkelling with her husband of six days at Matamanoa Island in the Mamanuca group, about 30km west of Nadi.
The injured woman was airlifted to Lautoka Hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.
Fiji police have confirmed the boat should not have been in the area.
The 27-year-old resort labourer who was driving the boat is likely to be charged with manslaughter.
While deaths and serious injuries are rare, one holidaymaker was so worried he left the water.
The Auckland man, who visited Fiji's Castaway Island last month on a day trip from Denarau, said he and his wife got out after 30 minutes of snorkelling because of the danger from passing boats.
The man, who asked not to be named, said they were told by beach staff to snorkel over a coral reef off the main beach.
But boats from the resort and jetskis hired by guests were travelling at speed over the same area, he said.
An Auckland travel consultant who has stayed frequently at Mana Island in Fiji and other South Pacific resorts said there were often buoys off the beach but separate areas for swimming and snorkelling were not signposted.
Japanese tourists in particular had no idea where to swim.
New Zealanders can be naive when travelling overseas, says Wendy Penno, director of Travel Doctor New Zealand. Many considered places like Fiji to be another New Zealand island and did not bother with travel insurance to cover medical expenses when things went wrong.
And go wrong they do.
The World Health Organisation says accidents, including car crashes, are the leading cause of preventable deaths for travellers.
Health risks like Hepatitis A and B, HIV, rabies, infections from coral and from stray dog faeces, and food and water contamination made Fiji one of the riskier places to visit.
At the same time, skill levels, equipment and hygiene in hospitals were not the same standard as in New Zealand hospitals.
Malaria in places like Vanuatu and the Solomons was of a similar level to Africa. Penno said she talked clients through the dangers and gave them tips, such as checking the credentials of scuba-diving companies and instructors, checking boats and lifejackets were sound. But it did not occur to many New Zealanders to check for dangers in places like Fiji.
Staying at a nice resort lulled them into a false sense of security. Penno warned that rabies was particularly dangerous in places like Fiji.
While a vaccine was available, many travellers did not bother to get it. If bitten by a dog, people needed treatment within 48 hours or they could die within a week.
A worldwide shortage of the blood products used as the first stage of rabies treatment made the disease even more dangerous, she said. The shortage was worrying Olympic officials in Beijing because rabies was widespread in China.
She said Australia was clear of rabies but one type still existed in the Australian bat.
Fake vaccines for rabies had been circulating on the market.
