The board of trustees for Whangārei Boys' High School has today issued a statement after the death of a student during an Abbey Caves school trip on Tuesday.
Karnin Ahorangi Petera, 15, died after the school group of 15 Year 11 students and two adults got into difficulty at the caves near Whangārei when the region was hit by heavy rain.
This afternoon, Andrew Carvell, Presiding Member WBHS Board of Trustees, released a statement on behalf of the school's trustees.
School's board of trustees statement in full:
It is with immense sadness I acknowledge the tragic passing of Karnin Ahorangi Petera, following the event at Abbey Caves on Tuesday. We extend our sincere condolences to his whānau.
Karnin was a treasured and deeply loved son, a brother, a friend to so many, and an inspiration to fellow Year 11 students at Whangārei Boys High School.
As Trustees and parents, we share the hurt this event has caused. We will continue to support whānau, staff, students and our WBHS community to help with the healing process.
We have a care plan in place to monitor the welfare of all students and staff, prioritising those most impacted by the event.
We are doing this by working closely with the Ministry of Education while seeking help and guidance from iwi and various agencies.
We are providing access to counsellors for those who need additional support and this will remain in place for as long as it is required.
The Board are fully supporting a thorough investigation into this event by the NZ Police and Worksafe NZ. As reported yesterday, we are unable to provide any more detail while the investigation is underway.
Again, I want to provide reassurance to whānau, staff, students and our WBHS community that the Board will continue to support people through this grieving process in any way we can.
Elim College lost six students and one teacher after a flash flood on a school camp in 2008. (Source: Breakfast)
Student describes ordeal
Yesterday, a student, who wished to remain anonymous, told 1News the group had been in the Organ Cave "for around an hour" before they got into trouble.
"We were halfway through the cave when the water started coming at us. We floated back with the current to get out. It was really fast, like five minutes," he said.
He said it took the group around 15 minutes to get to their location and "five minutes to get back" due to the strength of the current. He was unsure how Karnin was separated from the group.
With no reception, one of the students ran to get help from a nearby person who called 111.
Caving expert
Caver Peter Crossley told 1News in summer, the caves are safe enough for children to go through them.
He said as you enter deeper in to the caves, the water level rises from ankle-deep to neck-high.
"In summer, that’s alright. It’s warm water and you can take most of the family through there as long as they’re adventurous. In winter, it will be different."
But in heavy rain, people can be swept away at a moment's notice.
"If it’s a downpour outside, it’s mainly farmland outside so in saturated conditions, the water will quickly run off the hillsides, into the cave at the top and water can come up within moments, almost roar down the passage.
"It's like in a sewer pipe, a stormwater pipe in the city. There’s nothing really to hold onto on the sides – you’ll just get swept away."
Crossley said the size of the group had also made the situation more challenging.
"If you had a party of 15 and only two strong people, experienced people, it would be very difficult for the ones at the front to know what the ones at the back of the 'conga line' were doing."
Crossley said while regulations are in place with "all the safety checks and the boxes to tick and all the rest of it", the guides need to "have more authority over stopping".
"The guides have to be able to say, when they get to the entrance of the cave, 'No, it's not safe today, we're gonna go back.'"
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