An adventure tourism company and its director are facing six charges over the drowning of a 21-year-old British tourist.
Emily Louise Jordan drowned while river-boarding on the Kawarau river in Queenstown on April 29.
Maritime New Zealand has laid three charges relating to health and safety against Black
Sheep Adventures Ltd and three against its director Brad Alexander McLeod.
Each carries a maximum penalty of $250,000.
McLeod did not enter a plea for himself or on behalf of the company in Queenstown District Court yesterday and the matter was remanded to February 9, the Otago Daily Times reported.
Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson said further safety standards and a code of practice were needed and MNZ was working with the riverboarding and sledging industry to implement that.
Ms Jordan, from Worcestershire, got caught underwater, between rocks, as she "surfed" on a body board down river rapids.
Her boyfriend could only look on helplessly as rescuers took 20 minutes to extricate her body from between submerged rocks in rapids near the Roaring Meg power station in the river.
Emergency services were unable to resuscitate her and she died at the scene.
- NZPA
