British Family win compensation for daughter’s tragic death
The family of British graduate Emily Jordan have today received compensation from the extreme sports company deemed responsible for her death.
Having graduated from Swansea University, Miss Jordan, 21, was travelling in New Zealand’s South Island with her boyfriend in April 2008, when they stopped at Kawarau River Gorge near Queenstown to go river boarding. However, whilst riding a body board down the river’s rapids, Miss Jordan became trapped under a rock and remained submerged for 20 minutes because it was not standard practice for the safety boats to carry ropes with them.
By the time a boat carrying ropes arrived, it was too late for Miss Jordan who had already drowned. Black Sheep Adventures Ltd (which trades as Mad Dog River Boarding), and company director Brad McLeod were each charged with negligence and failing to ensure the safety of their customers, as Queenstown District Court heard that the safety operation plans of the company were inadequate and fell far short of their industry’s standards. Both parties denied the three charges brought against them and on Monday, all charges against Mr McLeod were dropped. However, whilst one charge against the company was dropped, Mad Dog River Boarding pleaded guilty to the remaining two and was required to pay £33,500 in compensation to Miss Jordan’s family. They were also fined the equivalent of £27,600 in New Zealand dollars for health and safety charges.
Although pleased with the result Miss Jordan’s mother, Sarah from Trimpley in Worcestershire, said that she found it “incredible” that there were no corporate manslaughter charges in New Zealand and added that this was “part of the reason why these activities go on – because these companies, especially some of them, know that they can get away with no safety regulations, no training, no safety equipment”.
Chris Jordan, Emily’s father, who was present at the trial expressed hope that something positive might come from his daughter’s death saying that “To just reduce the horrendous deaths that occur in some of these extreme sports would be my primary aim, my primary reason for coming over [from Britain] this week”.