Rafting adventure turns to tragedy

by Matthew Martin matthew.martin@dailypost.co.nz
A man has died after a rafting adventure down the Kaituna River turned to tragedy.

Rotorua police and Maritime New Zealand officials are investigating after the 66-year-old man, believed to have suffered a heart attack after being thrown from a raft on the river, near Rotorua, died at Rotorua Hospital in the early hours of yesterday.

He was Madhu Shah, a tourist who is understood to be from Mumbai (Bombay) in India.

Detective Sergeant John Wilson of the Rotorua police said police investigations were in the early stages and more information would be gained after a post-mortem examination had been carried out.

It is understood the man had a heart attack after being thrown from the raft he was in at Tutea Falls on the Kaituna River.

He was put back into the raft after a short time in the water but collapsed about 10 minutes later.

He was in a raft guided by a man working for local rafting company Kaitiaki Adventures.

A nurse who was on the river at the time performed CPR on the man, along with staff from Kaitiaki Adventures, before being taken to Rotorua Hospital by St John paramedics.

Tutea Falls is the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, at 7m high.

Co-owner of Kaitiaki Adventures Jason Wright said his sympathy went out to the Shah family.

"We voluntarily suspended operations for the day and have met with Maritime New Zealand to explain what happened. We are all shaken by his death."

Mr Wright said rafting could be dangerous but his customers understood the risks.

"There was nothing we could do, the ambulance guys told us he had a heart attack.

"I'm super proud of all the people who tried to help him, my guides, the nurse and St John."

Members of the New Zealand Rafting Association were unavailable for comment and representatives of other rafting companies operating on the Kaituna refused to comment.

President of the Rotorua Indian Association Harry Chhagan said members had been with the dead man's family, offering support and comfort.

"They are obviously very sad and shocked by his tragic death. At the moment we are trying to arrange for his body to be taken back home to India."

Mr Chhagan said the man was with his wife, son, daughter, son-in-law and some friends when the incident occurred.

Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson said preliminary enquiries were underway.

"Whether there will be an investigation or not will depend on what information we gather in those enquiries," he said.

Maritime New Zealand carry out investigations into all deaths on New Zealand waterways.

This week's death was the third as a result of an incident on the Kaituna River since last August.

American tourist 23-year-old Alabama man Matthew Stidham died while kayaking on a piece of river known as Awesome Gorge after getting trapped under a fallen branch.

In January this year, 58-year-old Turangi woman Catherine Farrington died while on a private sledging trip near Paengaroa.

She was with her husband and a group of friends.