Incident Reports
Staff Fatigue / Driving
Coroners Report
Inquest into the deaths of Gabriel Conor Runge and Andre Daniel Vogel who died on State Highway 5 near Settler’s Road, Bay of Plenty, NZ on 28 November 2014. This inquest raises important issues about fatigue and drowsiness in driving a motor vehicle.
Excerpt
The Court makes the following comments and observations pursuant to section 57(3) of the Coroners Act 2006:
(a) Organisations and drivers in general need to look at their driving protocols to see whether they are sufficient in terms of fatigue and/or drowsiness.
(b) There is a need for extreme care and vigilance when there is a physical activity such as hiking reasonable distances for several days prior to a road trip, and proper procedures are in place to ensure the driver(s) are properly monitored.
See also: Fatigue Management and Driving
Safety regulator releases report on Anglesea kayak incident
Maritime Safety Victoria, a branch of Transport Safety Victoria, has released its report into the rescue of eight kayakers and the loss of four kayaks off Anglesea in May.
Peter Corcoran, Director Maritime Safety, explained that the inquiry was conducted because of the apparent lack of appreciation of the risks associated with a school activity involving kayaks operating in ocean waters in winter.
“The people involved in this incident were lucky, the only things lost were four double kayaks and eight paddles but it could have been much worse…
“…Maritime Safety investigators found a lack of understanding of the:
- importance of a thorough risk assessment specific to the activity
- impact of wind strength and the ability of the kayakers to return to shore
- meaning of terms used by the Bureau of Meteorology (in particular wind strength)
- the importance of real time weather alerts.
Teachers ‘Not Watching’ When Student Drowned
News Story (ABC News. May 8, 2012)
A Tasmanian coroner has found a Latrobe High School student was not being supervised by teachers when he drowned on a school excursion. Coroner Rod Chandler has handed down his findings in the death of Rene Levi, 15, who drowned during a swimming trip to Bells Parade at Latrobe in 2009. Coroners Report (Tasmanian school boy drowning
Adventure Tourism Must Learn From NZ crash
News Story (Herald Sun. May 9, 2012)
A report criticising aviation regulators following a2010 skydiving plane crash in New Zealand that killed nine people, including two Australians, says there are lessons to be learned by all adventure tourism operators.
River Rafting Deaths (2007)
There have been 8 deaths since 1999 associated with commercial white water rafting. There
were 3 deaths before 2007, as follows:
- On 6 July 1999, Joseph Kwok-Leung Cheung aged 50 died on the Russell River;
- On 30 April 2001, John Wayne Curtis aged 32 died on the Tully River while working
as a guide, supervising rafting on the Tully River; and - On 30 August 2001, Wendy Morrison aged 41 died on the Tully River.
All the deaths were due to entrapment and drowning.
Coroners Report 2011 (Robinson)
Coroners Report (Charlesworth)
Coroners Report 2012 (Robinson, Charlesworth, Hatzidimitriadis, Park, Choi)
Black Duck Valley Trail Biking Death
Between 2 January 2005 and 16 January 2007, three men were killed in separate incidents at Black Duck Valley Four Wheel Drive and Motorbike Park (BDV) at East Haldon near Gatton.
Blue Mountains Bush Walking Death
On 10 December 2006, a few days after school broke up for the final time that year, a
group of three teenage boys set out on a bushwalk in the Blue Mountains National
Park. Those three boys, Kostas Brooks, Philip Chan and David Iredale, were students
of Sydney Grammar School. This inquest concerns the tragic death of David Iredale,
who became separated from his companions on 11 December 2006 and was last
seen around midday on that date.
Giant Swing Death
On 11 April 2001, Dale Measey fell about 10 metres to the ground on to his head when he
was preparing to ride upside down on a giant swing-type activity called “The Rip Swing”.
Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) Canyon Deaths, NZ
Coroners Report
Legal Comment
OPC Today – changes made following incident
Anaconda Climbing Wall Injury
News Report, The Age
