A whitewater sports expert has told a Queenstown court hearing that a rescue rope could have saved the life of a young English woman who drowned while riverboarding in the Kawarau Gorge last year.
Emily Jordan, 21, died on April 29 while on a Mad Dog River Boarding trip with 10 other tourists. She became trapped under a rock and could not quickly be freed.
Parent company Black Sheep Adventures Ltd and director Brad McLeod both deny three charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, the Southland Times reported.
Yesterday, trained river boarding guide and former national kayaking representative Donald Calder told the Queenstown District Court that having a rope at the scene would have increased the guides' chances of saving Ms Jordan's life.
"Even if her shoulder were dislocated while being pulled out, I am sure that this would have been a better outcome than drowning."
Mr Calder's evidence contradicted that of company former operations manager Nick Kendrick, who told the court ropes could be a hazard if they became tangled.
But Mr Calder said the fear of accidental deployment of the rope was "unfounded and uneducated".
"The rope is contained in the throw-bag, which has velcro and a dome. You have to open the bag to pull the rope out," he said.
Mr Kendrick said Mr McLeod had made efforts to improve safety standards since taking ownership of Mad Dog River Boarding.
The ratio of river boarders to guides had been reduced from 5:1 to 4:1 and a rafting company style hazard register had been created.
But a requirement that staff attend an external Swift Water Rescue course had been removed from the company's Safe Operational Plan, a document required for resource consent.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council had not endorsed that change at the time of the accident.
The defence is expected to open its case today.
NZPA