Whanganui community rallies for woman severely injured in jet boat crash

Whanganui trainer Pam Hiroti and studio owner Chloe Sherman inside the F45 gym. Photo / Eva de Jong

Pam Hiroti says it’s a “massive win” to be able to go down the stairs to leave her home.

“Every time I can do something a little bit better – that’s a win."

The Whanganui community is rallying around Hiroti, who was severely injured in a jet boat crash on the river on March 1.

A fundraising effort at the F45 gym in Whanganui, involving 50-60 people and 16 sponsors, has raised $1275 for the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.

Hiroti cannot remember the circumstances of the accident as she was left with a five-day memory blackout after being concussed during the crash between two jet boats.

Rescue helicopter staff said it took just seven minutes to transport Hiroti from the Whanganui River to Whanganui Hospital. A critical care flight paramedic stabilised her at the scene for about an hour and a quarter before the flight.

Hiroti has five broken bones and a serious concussion and is currently using a wheelchair.

“I’ve got a rod in this leg, have had surgery in my leg and a broken collarbone,” she said.

Four people were taken to Whanganui Hospital after the collision: one person was in a serious condition, two were in a moderate condition and another had minor injuries.

Whanganui Coastguard president Mike Carson said he believed privately owned boats were involved in the crash.

According to the Maritime New Zealand website, commercial jet boat operators require a New Zealand Commercial Jet Driver (River) Licence but recreational skippers do not need a licence.

Maritime NZ said this week an investigation into the crash was ongoing.

Because of her injuries, Hiroti has been forced to take a break from her beloved coaching role as an F45 trainer.

F45 Whanganui studio owner Chloe Sherman said she “was almost in tears” on the day of the fundraiser because of the strength shown by the community.

“Pam gives so much to the community so we wanted to give back to her,” Sherman said.

Gym members, non-members, families and children paid to take part in the F45 playoffs. There was pain and a lot of laughter as 25 athletes completed the challenge: “Everyone was here for Pam.”

The funds were initially intended to be donated towards Hiroti’s recovery journey, but she requested the money go to the helicopter trust.

“They were pretty instrumental in getting me to the hospital in a timely manner. It’s something that could have been a pretty long, hour-plus boat ride,” she said.

After the accident, Hiroti had a three-week stay in hospital, unable to move from bed and watching other patients come and go from the hospital room.

Seeing everyone back in the gym the day of the fundraiser had helped her to search for goals in her recovery, she said.

“A lot of people when they see you will ask ‘What happened’. Obviously, it’s human nature. But at the gym, no one asked me that at all, they just went straight to ‘How can we support you’.

“I think that’s instrumental to the ethos and the values of this place - that’s what touched me the most.”

Such severe injuries make recovery an intimidating prospect but Hiroti’s background in fitness coaching, for about a year and a half, has helped her break down her healing journey into manageable steps.

“Yesterday was the first time I could go down my stairs to get out of my house, so that’s a massive win,” Hiroti said.

“It’s kind of like coming into the gym for the first time and picking up a 4kg weight, then coming back a week later and doing 5kg.

“The only way you can attack a recovery is by crawling, walking and then getting back to running.”

It took a lot of mental resilience, knowing your limits and understanding that it wasn’t going to be “a basket of roses”, she said.

The doctors have told her it will take six to eight weeks for her broken bones to heal but she will have an ongoing process to recover from her concussion.

“The concussion is the hardest to navigate ... you get so tired really quickly,” she said.

But Hiroti has already fixed her sights on being able to compete in the Big Bang Adventure Race in November.

She was “so grateful” to F45 trainer Vaieshalee Berridge Renata and everyone who had been involved in organising the fundraiser.

Philips Search and Rescue Trust head of fundraising and marketing Sharni Weir said they were deeply thankful to every individual who donated.

“It is only through the generosity of supporters that our rescue helicopter crews can perform their life-saving missions.”

Although Hiroti’s recovery journey will be a long one, she is determined to get back to coaching as soon as she can.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.