NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

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 / New Zealand

Man 'died instantly' in ski biscuit accident

By Abigail Hartevelt
Rotorua Daily Post·
24 Jul, 2012 03:31 AM4 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

Lake Ohakuri. Photo / Supplied
Lake Ohakuri. Photo / Supplied

Lake Ohakuri. Photo / Supplied

James Worsnop organised a day of activities as a fun way of socialising with his friends at the lake. But he was left devastated after his and another friend's actions led to the death of his best friend.

The 35-year-old salesman from Taupo and Tony Wayne Sargeson, 44, Rotorua, manager, appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday.

They each pleaded guilty to a charge of operating a boat in a manner that caused danger to Andrew David Wroe on January 2.

Mr Wroe was killed on Lake Ohakuri, southwest of Rotorua, after a collision between a boat and a ski biscuit.

According to the police summary of facts, Mr Wroe was camping with a large group of friends at the lake.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Worsnop arranged a competition comprising various activities including a ski biscuit relay.

The relay involved each competing boat towing a person on a ski biscuit on a 600m course. They had to turn around two 5-knot warning buoys.

Worsnop and Sargeson each skippered a boat. Mr Wroe was on a ski biscuit being towed by Sargeson's boat.

Worsnop left the shore first but was overtaken by Sargeson. Worsnop attempted to turn around them in the opposite direction to the lead boat.

Having started his turn in an anti-clockwise direction, Worsnop realised that to continue would almost certainly cause a collision between his and the other boat, so he closed the throttle and the boat came to a stop.

Discover more

New Zealand

Men plead guilty over fatal boating accident

23 Jul 03:24 AM
New Zealand

Driver unhurt after dramatic train derailing

23 Jul 08:05 AM
New Zealand

Log truck driver killed in forestry accident

24 Jul 05:05 AM

Sargeson was already committed to the turn when he realised the other boat was heading around the buoys towards him and he also stopped.

The act of slowing while in the turn caused a pendulum effect for the biscuit behind the boat. It caused the biscuit to swing in an arc and it collided with the other stationary boat.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Worsnop realised what was going to happen and attempted to reverse but the ski biscuit struck the bow.

The impact burst the ski biscuit and flung both riders into the water.

Mr Wroe suffered serious trauma to the abdomen as well as numerous fractured ribs and ruptured spleen - injuries, police say, were instantly fatal.

The other person who had been on the ski biscuit was knocked unconscious and bruised.

The area where the incident occurred was subject to a bylaw restricting speeds to 5 knots (9km/h) within 30m of the shore, any structure including buoys and any vessel or person in the water.

Two boats involved in the race were not using spotters to watch the biscuits - a requirement of the Maritime Transport Act 1994. Sargeson had a spotter on his boat.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He admitted that the afternoon of activities that he had organised was supposed to be a fun way for the different camps to socialise, and he was devastated that what had occurred resulted in his best friend losing his life," police said.

Sargeson was extremely remorseful and told police he assumed the two boats behind him would complete a clockwise turn so he began to complete a clockwise turn.

He said he exceeded the 5 knots partway around the turn and saw Worsnop completing an anti-clockwise turn in very close proximity to his boat.

He immediately took action in an attempt to avoid a collision but was unsuccessful.

Worsnop's lawyer Simon Lance asked a conviction not be entered at this stage. Sargeson's lawyer Murray McKechnie said it would be helpful if the men took part in the restorative justice scheme.

Judge Phillip Cooper said he would not enter convictions at this stage and remanded Sargeson and Worsnop at large for sentencing on September 7. The pair have also been referred to Mana Social Services to take part in the restorative justice scheme.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Butterfly experts urge people to look out for strange winter trend in monarch butterflies

30 May 07:00 PM
New Zealand

Challenger for Central Hawke's Bay mayor

30 May 06:00 PM
New Zealand

Tweed, balls and bands: Coolest festival in town, winter Art Deco, is back

30 May 06:00 PM

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Crusaders secure second seed with late try
Super Rugby

Crusaders secure second seed with late try

30 May 06:24 PM
Challenger for Central Hawke's Bay mayor
Hawkes Bay Today

Challenger for Central Hawke's Bay mayor

30 May 06:00 PM
The two Davids: Cyclists in their 80s honoured as life members of club
Hawkes Bay Today

The two Davids: Cyclists in their 80s honoured as life members of club

30 May 06:00 PM
Tweed, balls and bands: Coolest festival in town, winter Art Deco, is back
Hawkes Bay Today

Tweed, balls and bands: Coolest festival in town, winter Art Deco, is back

30 May 06:00 PM
'Spiritual crisis': Pastor fined for building unconsented church, Christian group millions in debt
New Zealand

'Spiritual crisis': Pastor fined for building unconsented church, Christian group millions in debt

30 May 05:00 PM

Latest from New Zealand

Butterfly experts urge people to look out for strange winter trend in monarch butterflies

Butterfly experts urge people to look out for strange winter trend in monarch butterflies

30 May 07:00 PM

Removing wasp nests from the garden can help monarch butterflies to survive.

Challenger for Central Hawke's Bay mayor

Challenger for Central Hawke's Bay mayor

30 May 06:00 PM
Tweed, balls and bands: Coolest festival in town, winter Art Deco, is back

Tweed, balls and bands: Coolest festival in town, winter Art Deco, is back

30 May 06:00 PM
Premium
Letters: What David Seymour could learn from brave 8-year-old; Run it straight ban a no-brainer

Letters: What David Seymour could learn from brave 8-year-old; Run it straight ban a no-brainer

30 May 06:00 PM
Explore the hidden gems of NSW
sponsored

Explore the hidden gems of NSW

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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • 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
search by queryly Advanced Search