Deception Valley river victim named as Christchurch doctor Isabel Rivett

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

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The woman who died in the Deception Valley, near Otira on the West Coast, worked as a doctor at Christchurch Hospital.

Isabel Rivett, 32, was in a party of five mountain runners travelling up the valley toward Goat Pass on Sunday. The group was making its third crossing of the Deception River when Rivett became separated and was swept away.

She was found by her companions about one kilometre downstream. CPR was carried out but she died at the scene.

Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) chief medical officer Nigel Millar confirmed Rivett worked as a registrar in medicine at Christchurch Hospital.

'Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this sad time.'

Rivett's partner also worked for the CDHB, he said.

Deception River forms part of the mountain run section of the Coast to Coast multisport race.

Race director and multiple former champion Richard Ussher said river conditions in the area could change quickly.

'[Deception River is] one of those ones where if you go through in good conditions it can be very benign but if you get the wrong conditions it can be pretty full on.'

About five years ago the mountain run part of the Coast to Coast had to be moved because of sudden, heavy rain, he said.

'We drove over on the Thursday and all of the rivers were ankle deep, same on Friday.

'Then on the Saturday, five o'clock in the morning, there was no way anyone would have got across any of the rivers. Even the smallest tributaries were absolutely pounding.'

Department of Conservation senior ranger Chris Stewart said 46 millimetres of rain fell at a nearby measuring station in Arthur's Pass between late Saturday afternoon and 9am on Sunday. It was likely slightly more fell in the Deception River area, he said.

'[Deception River] is 'gorge-y' . . . it comes down very steeply and through a gorge. [The river level] comes up and goes down pretty quickly.'

Rivett's death follows that of 54-year-old Eric Jacomb, who died after falling on a remote West Coast glacier on Saturday. A search and rescue crew found his body on Sunday.

'It's been a sad start to the year on the West Coast and our thoughts are with the victim's family and friends,' Corbett said.

The deaths come days after two climbers fell to their deaths near the summit of Mt Silberhorn in Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park.