New details revealed after young mother killed in boating incident

Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Police investigated the boat in the days after the incident in 2021. (Video first published April 2 2021)

Auckland mother Danielle Tamarua died of critical injuries after she fell overboard on a Zefiro Charters boat on April 1, 2021.
Her leg was severed after the fall with a passenger and paramedics attempting resuscitation for 40 minutes before she was pronounced dead.
Skipper Christopher Sherborne was subsequently charged and has pleaded guilty. He’ll be sentenced in July.

Warning: This story contains graphic details that may upset readers.

A day of fun, swimming, and dancing, tragically ended when a young mother was killed after falling overboard, completely severing her leg.

Court documents released to Stuff now reveal more details about what happened the day Danielle Tamarua died after the boat’s skipper pleaded guilty to charges which include causing unnecessary danger or risk and operating the boat with an expired medical certificate.

Back in April 2021, LittleWolf Catering took staff members for a day trip around the Hauraki Gulf. Christopher Sherborne was the skipper that day and working alongside crew members George Abdou, Irene Crispino and Aleksandar Smiljanov.

Danielle Tamarua died after falling overboard.

Mother-of-two, Danielle Tamarua, 25, and her colleagues boarded the boat at about 10am. LittleWolf Catering had supplied their own food and alcohol.

Abdou, the boat’s chef, gave a safety briefing, but did not include what to do if someone went overboard and didn’t inform the passengers about restricted areas of the boat while it was underway, including the bow.

Sherborne knew that, but did nothing to stop anyone from being on the bow, court documents released to Stuff say.

Tamarua and Jack Upton were sitting on the bow of the vessel. At about 5pm the pair decided to go back inside.

She began walking around the very front of the bow, holding onto the waist-height rail. The pair then stopped and continued to talk for about five minutes, leaning back against the rail.

Zefiro Charters are still facing charges.

Her legs suddenly went out from under her and she fell backwards over the rail of the boat and into the sea.

“After falling into the water, Ms Tamarua was struck by the vessel’s propeller and suffered severe lacerations. Her left leg was completely severed just below the hip.”

Upton, who waved in the direction of the wheelhouse, told Sherborne Tamarua had fallen into the sea.

Upton then jumped in while the skipper commenced man-over-board procedures and radioed a nearby ferry.

At about 5.15pm a MAYDAY broadcast was made, stating that the vessel had a man-over-board situation and said the boat was in the Motuihe Channel.

Police investigators on board the boat after Danielle Tamarua died.

Two other passengers jumped into the water to help Tamarua, who was at this point about 30 to 50 metres away from the boat and unconscious.

The men managed to get Tamarua back to the boat and a tourniquet was applied to her leg and CPR was carried out until police and paramedics arrived.

At about 5.45pm police from the Auckland Police Maritime Unit arrived with a first aid kid and defibrillator. An intensive care paramedic arrived shortly after via the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

At around 6.10pm, about 15 minutes after an intensive care paramedic arrived, and after about 40 minutes of CPR, resuscitation efforts stopped and Tamarua was pronounced dead.

Three passengers jumped overboard in an attempt to save Danielle Tamarua.

She was then transferred to the police boat and taken back to the Maritime Rescue Centre. The charter guests were also transferred to a different police boat and taken back to shore.

The Zefiro boat had to be towed back to the viaduct by the coastguard at about 7/56pm after an unrelated engine failure.

In March 2022, Maritime New Zealand charged Zefiro Charters Ltd and Sherborne.

Sherborne has now pleaded guilty to allowing passengers to be on the bow of the vessel while it was underway, causing unnecessary danger or risk.

“In this instance, it was conduct that did lead to injury, in that Ms Tamarua fell overboard and suffered fatal injuries caused by the ship’s propeller,” the summary of facts stated.

Sherborne also admitted operating the boat with an expired medical certificate.

Tamarua’s mother, Iti Tamarua, previously told Stuff her daughter had only recently joined the catering company as a chef and the death came as an extra blow for the family after Iti Tamarua’s husband had died two years prior.

Iti Tamarua said her daughter was happy, popular and loved to spend time with her friends.

LittleWolf Catering earlier described Tamarua as a “beautiful, kind and much loved member of our team”.

The owners of the charter boat, Lawrence Knight and Ben Mostert, previously said their hearts went out to the family and friends of the deceased.

Zefiro have pleaded not guilty to the Health and Safety charges they face.

CORRECTION: This article previously stated Maritime New Zealand laid charges in May 2022. Charges were filed in March 2022, however the defendants didn't appear in court until May. (Amended: May 1, 2024, 2.37pm.)