WorkSafe has charged the Whangārei Boys High School Board of Trustees for health and safety failures after the death of a student on a caving trip a year ago.
Fifteen-year-old Karnin Petera died on May 9, 2023 when a school group of 15 year 11 students and two adults got into difficulty at Abbey Caves during heavy rain.
The caving trip took place during a heavy rain warning, and Petera was swept away in rising floodwaters.
A student, who wished to remain anonymous, told 1News at the time the group had been in the Organ Cave “for around an hour” before they got into trouble.
“We were halfway through the cave when the water started coming at us. We floated back with the current to get out. It was really fast, like five minutes,” he said.
Whangārei Boys’ High School principal Karen Gilbert-Smith told 1News at the time the school was “devastated” by the death.
“The impact of this tragedy is being felt widely among our school staff, students and wider community.”
A caving expert said heavy rain could make caves become like a “stormwater pipe” where people can easily be swept away.
Peter Crossley told 1News last year the caves were safe enough for children to go through them in summer.
“But if it’s a downpour outside, it’s mainly farmland outside so, in saturated conditions, the water will quickly run off the hillsides, into the cave at the top and water can come up within moments, almost roar down the passage.”
An investigation into the circumstances of the incident resulted in charges being laid in the Whangārei District Court under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
“We encourage school boards of trustees across the country to reflect on their own systems and processes to ensure they are meeting legal requirements for education outside the classroom,” said WorkSafe head of inspectorate Rob Pope.
“Students should be able to participate safely, and parents must have confidence their rangatahi will be kept safe.”
WorkSafe said charges had been filed against the legal entity of the Board of Trustees, not individuals on the board itself.