11 Dec 2009

Water Safety NZ researches canyoning risk

8:21 pm on 11 December 2009

Water Safety New Zealand is researching the adventure activity of canyoning to see whether industry-wide standards are needed for guides.

The study was prompted by the canyoning deaths of seven people from Auckland's Elim Christian College, who were killed in a flash flood in the Mangatepopo Gorge in April last year.

Water Safety New Zealand general manager Matt Claridge says the study will look at how international qualifications and standards could be modelled for New Zealand.

Queenstown canyoning operator Mike Enfield says the industry is already making moves to self-regulate and standardise guiding systems.

The project should be done by the end of January.