Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Court hears of family's hot pool tragedy

By Cherie Taylor
Rotorua Daily Post·
20 Dec, 2012 02:17 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Fences erected around dangerous geothermal pools at Kuirau Park to keep visitors safe are constantly being climbed over by people wanting a closer look at the natural features, placing themselves in danger, the Rotorua Coroners Court has heard.

Rotorua District Council parks and recreation manager Garry Page gave evidence at the inquest into the death of Toromon Toromon who fell into a pool at the park on Boxing Day 2010 suffering full thickness burns to 95 per cent of his body.

The 10-year-old Hamilton boy died at Middlemore Hospital four days later from his injuries.

In evidence before coroner Dr Wallace Bain, Mr Page said the pool Toromon fell into had a stone wall around it but many other pools around the park had wooden child-proof fences around them to stop people falling in.

There were some signs around the park warning visitors to stay on tracks and be aware of the dangers.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Since Toromon's death, they had reviewed the area, placed pictorial and internationally recognised signage around the park and wooden fencing around the pool in question, he said.

The court heard, people were ignoring signage and fences and climbing them, putting themselves in danger to get a closer look at the natural features.

Visitors to the park were climbing the rock walls to get a closer look as well as fences, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There was difficulty "balancing' safety and allowing people to see the natural features Rotorua has to offer, Mr Page said.

"We are constantly monitoring things. Our people do everything but if people are deter mined to climb the barriers there is little to stop them ... there is a fine balance. We have to enable people to see and experience it in its natural form.''

If fences were too high and someone did manage to climb and fall in, people wouldn't be able to reach them quickly, he said.

"It's not easy to climb out.''

The sheer volume of natural features and pools throughout the region make it impossible to fence them all, Mr Page said.

Council had fenced off a pool at Whakarewarewa but locals soon broke it down and a child subsequently slipped in and got seriously burned, he told the court.

"They will find a way in if they really want to.''

On the day Toromon suffered his fatal injuries, his family had been out enjoying their Christmas in Rotorua, Rotorua police Detective Sergeant Tony Colby told the court.

After checking out most of the park, the family had lunch before deciding to see more.

As the heading into the park, Toromon and his elder brother, Totira, ran off ahead of them to play.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A few minutes later, Toromon was walking on the rock wall around the pool and fell in.

His 11-year-old brother pulled him out and put him on the grass before going for help.

Photographs provided to police show Toromon and his brother climbing on the wall around the pool earlier in the day.

In evidence, Mr Colby said a witness heard Totira say to his brother "I told you not to jump in there''.

He said at the time of the incident, there were warning signs around the park but some had been vandalised.

Fencing ranged from child proof down to minimal or no fencing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

An investigation determined there was insufficient evidence to establish criminal liability against any person or the Rotorua District Council regarding the boy's "unfortunate'' death.

Dr Bain reserved his finding telling the boy's family who were in court it had been a "lovely family day out until this occurred''.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

New Rotorua police beat team to tackle 'big' retail crime issues

03 Jul 07:03 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

02 Jul 09:19 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

02 Jul 09:13 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

New Rotorua police beat team to tackle 'big' retail crime issues

New Rotorua police beat team to tackle 'big' retail crime issues

03 Jul 07:03 AM

The team comprises five constables and one sergeant, patrolling on foot.

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

02 Jul 09:19 PM
Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

02 Jul 09:13 PM
Armed police block Rotorua street

Armed police block Rotorua street

02 Jul 09:10 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP