Students' deaths highlight risks of river crossings - coroner
Sunday, 25 June 2023
Two Otago University students drowned while trying to cross the swollen Makarora River, a coroner has ruled.
Fourth year pharmacy student Kevin Lee, 22, and French exchange student Ashwini Rasiwala, 20, died while tramping the Gillespie Pass Circuit in Mt Aspiring National Park together on February 6, 2020.
Rasiwala’s body was found in the Makarora River the next day, and Lee’s body was found nearby a day after that.
In findings released publicly on Monday, coroner Alexander Ho noted Rasiwala and Lee “died from drowning”, and highlighted the dangers of river crossings while tramping.
A NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) report, presented to the coroner, considered a combination of factors that led to the fatalities.
They included river warning information on Department of Conservation (DOC) signs in the area, the pair’s lack of river crossing and overall tramping experience, the impact of heuristics – known as ‘mental shortcuts’, which influence decision-making – and the flooded state of the river at the time of the attempted crossing.
In the days before the pair’s deaths, there had been significant rainfall event in the area, closing the track for several days and causing the river to flow about 2m higher than normal.
However, no rain had fallen in the 24 hours before February 6, 2020.
The MSC report stated the river would have been moving faster than normal walking pace, would have been discoloured, and the riverbed would not have been visible – all signs it was in flood and not safe to cross.
The coroner endorsed the MSC’s tramping river safety advice, and recommended DOC make further improvements to its signage in the area.
Rasiwala and Lee were university flatmates in Dunedin.
Lee was heavily involved with a tramping club and volunteered as a “Kiwi host”, which involved welcoming and supporting international students.
He was described as a charismatic person who was friendly and welcoming.
Rasiwala had arrived in New Zealand only the week before she set out for the tramp.
The pair left Dunedin on February 5, but did not advise any friends or family about their plans.
The Gillespie Pass Circuit is a multi-day, 58km loop in Mt Aspiring National Park, and is classified by DOC as an advanced track for experienced parties.
River crossings were the second-highest cause of tramper fatalities in New Zealand.
Since 2007, there had been 21 river crossing fatalities. Of these, 14 were related to tramping, six were hunters and one was related to trail running.
Tramping is one of the most popular recreation activities in Aotearoa.
More than 1.14 million Kiwis tramped in 2021, an increase of 13% compared to 2019, according to a MSC report.
The MSC recommended hikers and trampers be prepared for any planned or unexpected river crossings.
Its website had information on how to assess whether a river was safe to cross and how to cross safely.
Signs that a river was unsafe include: water moving faster than normal walking pace; discoloured, cloudy or surging water; visible debris in the river such as tree branches; and the sound of rolling boulders on the riverbed.
The MSC also recommended trampers carry a form of emergency shelter, such as a tent or tarpaulin, so if a river was deemed unsafe to cross there was no pressure to cross to get to a hut for shelter.
Trampers should also be prepared to turn back or change route to avoid the need to cross a dangerous river, it said.