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Queenstown harbourmaster Marty Black has defended the handling of the rescue at a jetboat crash in which a Chinese tourist died after being trapped under the boat yesterday.
The Kawarau Jet boat was carrying 22 passengers, all from a China tour party, and the driver, when it flipped
at 2.45 pm yesterday after apparently hitting a sandbar where Shotover and Kawarau Rivers meet.
There was initial confusion about numbers on the boat, but when it became apparent a person was unaccounted for, helicopters were called to assist with aerial searches, while other jetboats scoured the river, a St John officer said.
But it was about 90 minutes after the crash before the boat was lifted and the woman's body was found, despite requests from her companions for earlier action from rescuers.
Mr Black, who headed the rescue, said it took some time but had to be done properly, otherwise more lives would have been put at risk.
"The problem is the boat weighs around 4-1/2 tonnes and it is just not something you can lift with people, so you have got to get some machinery in there," Mr Black told Radio New Zealand.
The shingle in the river was too soft to use a digger, so the only option was a Heliworks B3 heavy-lift helicopter.
It took about 30 minutes for the helicopter to arrive, with Queenstown-based commercial divers arriving after that.
"I know there is a timeline, but unfortunately you have got to take your time and make sure you don't put other people at risk and that was our main concern - not to put other people at risk and try to do it as fast as possible, as safely as possible," said Mr Black.
"At the confluence where the boat went over, the river was relatively swift, the boat was technically moving and you could not put anyone near that boat until it was secured or partly lifted by helicopter."
He said he was satisfied given the difficult circumstances that "we did everything possible."
He said Kawarau Jet, New Zealand's first commercial jetboat operation, was a responsible operator.
The company has suspended operations, with director Andrew Brinsley describing the incident as the blackest in the company's 47-year history.
Police, Maritime New Zealand and Traffic Accident Investigation Commission have started investigations, with some passengers interviewed today.
Eight of the passengers were taken to hospital. Two remained in Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown today for observation, while one was in Dunedin Hospital with a dislocated shoulder.
- NZPA