Judge, victim's father question lack of adventure regulation

The Ballance Bridge from where Catherine Peters fell. Photo / Herald on Sunday

The dangers of New Zealand's unregulated adventure tourism industry were highlighted today during the sentencing of a bridge swing operator convicted of a student's manslaughter.

Massey University student Catherine Peters, 18, fell about 20 metres on to rocks below Ballance Bridge, near Woodville, during a bridge swing run by Crag Adventures director Alastair McWhannell on March 7 last year.

A rope meant to keep her secure as she jumped from the bridge was found to be too long and not tied to rigging correctly, and she died of her injuries in hospital hours later.

McWhannell, who had sole responsibility for the bridge swing, was last month found guilty of her manslaughter. He appeared in the High Court at Palmerston North today and was sentenced to 400 hours' community service and ordered to pay $10,000 in reparation to Ms Peters' family.

In sentencing him, Justice Ronald Young said it was concerning McWhannell had not accepted responsibility for Ms Peters' death, and said he hoped the length of time it would take for him to complete his sentence would be a continuing reminder of the incident for a long time to come.

Justice Young questioned the safety precautions that were in place the day Ms Peters' died, saying the unregulated nature of the adventure tourism industry was "remarkable".

In a victim impact statement, Ms Peters' father, Bosco Peters, also commented on the dangers posed by the sector.

"I am horrified and ashamed to discover that in the country I love there are no regulations for adventure and outdoor commercial ventures in place, as one would expect in a western, first-world nation," he said.

"In a nation where red tape has in so many areas become its own industry, I am incensed that there are not even the simplest up-front checks on firms operating in these sectors.

"Even some simple, basic regulations could have prevented Catherine's death. This is the shadow-side of our number eight wire, she'll be right, devil-may-care Kiwi attitude."

Mr Peters said he was haunted by Catherine's death.

"Every building above 20 metres high reminds me - and so, so many of them are around that height. Driving over a bridge, being in a building with a balcony at that sort of height, with all these come flashes of Catherine falling."

Ms Peters' mother, Helen Peters, said McWhannell's failure to offer any expression of remorse had made her daughter's death even harder.

Speaking outside court following the sentencing, Mr Peters said it was not the right time to comment on the current prime ministerial review of the industry, but said he was pleased the judge had spoken about the need for more safety checks.

"We do not want a single other family to go through a nightmare like this," Mr Peters said.

Ms Peters' brother, Jonathan Peters, said the family had always referred to itself as the awesome foursome.

"We're still the awesome foursome even though we don't physically have four people. Catherine's still here in the way that she's changed us and influenced us."

- NZPA