Source: Radio New Zealand
15-year-old Karnin Petera died during a Whangārei Boys’ High School trip to Abbey Caves in May 2023. SUPPLIED
An instructor on a fatal Whangārei Boys’ High caving trip has described how the group faced a stark, life-or-death choice as a flash flood swept through the cave – stay put on top of a rockfall, or try to swim to the exit.
The man, whose name is suppressed, told a Coroner’s inquest in Whangārei on Tuesday there was no discussion of which option to take.
As the “tail-end Charlie” at the rear of the group, he had no choice but to follow the trip leader and the boys, who had already entered the water and were being swept rapidly downstream.
Under cross examination, however, the man said he agreed with the decision.
That was because there was no way of knowing how high the flood would rise, and whether even the highest point would stay above water.
The man, who was highly experienced in outdoor education but not qualified in caving, told the court he had helped guide another school group through the same cave the previous day.
On that day the water at the entrance to the cave was marginally deeper and murkier than usual.
The following day the water was slightly deeper still, but not enough to make him concerned.
He had asked the organisers whether the trip was still going ahead, given the orange heavy rain warning in place for Northland.
They told him they had shortened the trip and limited it to one cave, which they believed at that time did not flood, instead of the usual three.
The man checked the rain radar for himself and saw a heavy rain band over Kaitāia that was moving only slowly south.
He had seen a similar rain band the week before that had brought no rain to Whangārei.
The man said the group explored the cave’s upper chamber and observed glow-worms before noticing more water than usual in one of the passages.
Coroner Alexander Ho is hearing the inquest. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
One of the men – he could not remember who – said “we’d better get out of here”.
When they returned to the rockfall, where the upper and lower passages met, he was surprised to see how much the water had risen.
The water level had gone up so much he was struggling to recognise where they were.
At that point their only options were to enter the water and swim to the exit, or stay on top of the rockfall and wait for the water to recede.
However, the trip leader had already entered the water and was being swept downstream towards the exit, followed by the boys, so he followed.
He was asked by one of the lawyers why he believed that was the right decision, even though there was no discussion – not at the time, and not beforehand via an emergency plan.
“I thought there was too much uncertainty regarding whether the remainder of the cave, even the high points, would actually remain safe and dry,” he said.
Once he entered the water, he found it was deeper and faster than he expected.
It was mostly over head-height and turbulent in places, pulling the boys under and leaving them scrambling for space and air.
As he came around the final corner before the exit he heard boys shouting frantically and saw what he recognised as a sieve, where the water was being forced through small gaps in the rocks.
The force of the water pouring through the sieve was sucking boys under and pulling them towards the right-hand side of the cave mouth, where it was impossible to get out.
By chimneying, or placing his hands and feet against the cave walls, he was able to make his way towards the exit, where the trip leader had braced himself against the flow and was lifting boys out of the water.
He said the trip leader had saved several lives that day.
Brother Jordan and parents Alicia Toki and Andre Petera with a photo of Karnin “Tino” Petera outside the Whangārei courthouse. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
The man said until that day he did not know Karnin Petera, the 15-year-old who died, but had since felt a deep connection with him.
Addressing Karnin and his whānau, he said: “He often reminds me to appreciate this life and do important things … I hold all my kids tighter now, and I thank you Karnin for that.”
He urged the young men who were in the cave to talk about the tragedy, often, with those they trusted.
He said he had never received an apology from Whangārei Boys’ High School, or been asked for his views about the changes needed in outdoor education.
The inquest, before Coroner Alexander Ho, is expected to continue for at least two more days.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand