Coroner finds fatal school caving trip should have been cancelled

A coroner has found that 15-year-old Karnin 'Tino' Petera would still be alive if his school caving trip had been cancelled. Petera drowned on 9 May 2023 when flash floodwaters hit Abbey Caves during a Whangārei Boys’ High School outdoor education excursion. The death was deemed preventable, as the school's own policy stated that any heavy rain warnings would result in a trip being cancelled.

The decision to proceed was driven by an 'overly optimistic risk tolerance' and a misunderstanding of weather data. Organisers relied on unmoderated computer-generated hourly rainfall forecasts for the Whangārei Aerodrome, believing heavy rain would not arrive until later that afternoon. They misinterpreted the timestamps, not realising that an hourly forecast for 9am represented the hour leading up to that time rather than the hour following it.

The teachers and an external instructor were not found at fault for their actions once inside the cave. During the 'terrifying' flood, water levels rose from waist-high to neck-deep in minutes. The group faced a choice between evacuating or moving to a higher passage, and the decision to leave was deemed reasonable. While the adults fought to haul boys over boulders, Petera was caught in a hydraulic effect and trapped.

Coroner Alexander Ho recommended that all education providers review outdoor education policies to include unambiguous cancellation criteria. The school's board of trustees has since strengthened its procedures and previously paid more than $500,000 in reparation following a WorkSafe investigation.

How it developed

• Thu 5 Nov, 5:00amThe school's board of trustees was charged and paid more than $500,000 in reparation.

Compiled from reports by Stuff, RNZ, NZ Herald, 1News and Otago Daily Times.