Abbey Caves tragedy: Whangārei Boys’ High School admits health and safety risks

A Northland high school has admitted to health and safety failures after the death of a student during an outdoor education trip at Abbey Caves last year.

Karnin Petera, 15, died on a Whangārei Boys’ High School trip to the caves on May 9, 2023.

His death, during heavy rain, rocked the school and the wider Whangārei community.

In May this year, WorkSafe charged the school board with two counts of exposing people to the risk of harm or death for the Abbey Caves outdoor education caving activity.

In the Whangārei District Court on Monday afternoon, the school board pleaded guilty to the two charges through their lawyer Marie Wisker.

Proceedings started with a minute’s silence to acknowledge Karnin’s passing and the solemnity of the matters, Judge Greg Tomlinson said.

He also acknowledged the presence of Karnin’s whānau in court and thanked them for being there.

The two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 - one for Karnin and one for the two workers involved - were made against the legal entity of the school board, rather than individual members.

The case was adjourned for sentencing on September 27, with the judge directing restorative justice be canvassed with all the victims and undertaken if possible.

Whangārei Boys’ High School principal Karen Smith previously said the school would review the charges laid by WorkSafe and take the findings seriously.

The school has already developed and implemented new Education Outside the Classroom and Outdoor Education policies, with the help of Education Outdoors NZ, including new safety management plans, Smith said.

At the time, she acknowledged all those impacted by the loss of Karnin, “our thoughts remain with the whānau of Karnin Petera, his friends, our school whānau, the wider Whangārei community and everyone who has been touched by this tragedy”.

Karnin Petera, whose nickname was Tino, lived a jam-packed life before his death last year.

On his first anniversary, Karnin’s family described him as someone who lived life to the full.

He loved te reo, basketball, going to the gym, playing pool, board games, hanging out with friends and anything water-related; surfing, body boarding, diving, and doing manus.

The 15-year-old also liked a broad range of music.

Whangārei Boys’ High School is not the first Northland school to be prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act, after Tauraroa Area School was prosecuted for its failings during a “frightening” school trip in 2020.

Two students got caught in a sea cave and nearly drowned during a kayaking trip with Dive! Tutukaka to the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve on December 7, 2020.

Tauraroa Area School was ordered to pay the two students an undisclosed sum for emotional reparation, as well as pay half of the prosecution fees, of about $2500. It also worked with the Ministry of Education and Education Outdoors NZ to ensure it was meeting its health and safety responsibilities.

Dive! Tutukaka entered into a legally binding safety pledge, known as an enforceable undertaking, including reparations to the two students, training staff, funding and training for the Northland Rescue Helicopter and Coastguard Tūtūkākā, youth water confidence programmes and partnering with Education Outdoors NZ to upskill providers working with schools.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.