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Three years ago, Karnin “Tino” Petera drowned in floodwaters after he was trapped during a school caving trip. Now, his whānau have returned to court carrying the same painful question that has shaped their grief. Why did the Whangārei Boys’ High School trip to Abbey Caves proceed in such severe weather? And that is what Coroner Alexander Ho would be examining during his inquest into the death of Petera on May 9, 2023. The teen’s parents, Alicia Toki and Andre Petera, who took part in the earlier prosecution of the school board, were at the coronial inquest which began today in the Whangārei District Court. Represented by lawyer Ellie Harrison, they were the first to give statements. They remembered “Tino” as being funny, a keen diver and spiritually connected to Te Ao Māori. Witnesses told to ‘dig deep’ Coroner Ho opened today’s hearing by acknowledging the loss of Petera, and the witnesses who would be called to give evidence. He highlighted the three key witnesses as teachers Ben Windsor and Stevie Huurnick, and outdoor education contractor Luke Kirner, all of whom were involved in organising the trip. Coroner Alexander Ho opened the hearing on Thursday at the Whangārei District Court. Photo / NZME It will be the first time their account of the trip has been heard publicly since the tragedy. The coroner said the inquest was not an exercise of imposing liability. “I do not believe they intended that morning to put anyone in harm’s way,” he said. “I encourage the witnesses to dig deep and be honest and thoughtful, remove the barriers so we can understand what went on. I don’t want to pretend it will be easy. “They will be asked to relive probably awful events. I ask those witnesses whenever your turn is in the witness box, that you guard against a natural reaction of defensiveness.” Coroner Ho said the inquest would examine how the risks of the excursion were identified, assessed and managed, both before the trip and once the group was inside the caves. Other focuses would be around adequate information about the dangers of entering the caves and where the responsibility lies to update information. “We need to all work together to try and prevent it from happening again,” Coroner Ho said. “We gather to understand what happened to Karnin.” The tragedy unfolded on May 9, 2023, after Whangārei had been experiencing significant downpours for days leading into the excursion. The school had planned field trips to Abbey Caves, which featured three limestone caves, the first being more than 300m long. It was a regular site for Northland school trips, with water flowing through all caves, which can get chest-deep in areas on days without rainfall. Emergency services at Abbey Caves in Whangārei, where Karnin Petera lost his life. Photo / NZME Rain had been heavy for days before the trip, with an orange weather warning issued on the morning Petera, a Year 11 student also known as “Tino”, entered the caves with 16 classmates. Water rapidly rose and the students struggled to escape the caves. The force of the water sucked Petera down, trapping his foot between two rocks. A search and rescue operation was launched, and multiple students had to be rescued from nearby rocks. It would be another 10 hours until a team of plumbers with underwater cameras responded to the desperate search and helped locate Petera. Tragically, he was found dead. The school board was formally charged in May 2024 by WorkSafe with two counts of exposing people to the risk of harm or death. It pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay reparations of more than $500,000 to the victims; specific amounts were suppressed. ‘He was always prepared’ In the whānau statement heard today, it said Petera’s parents were concerned about the weather on the day of the trip and had told their son that if it didn’t feel safe, don’t go in. Toki said Tino was an organised person and the day before, he asked “100 times” whether it was still on. “He was always prepared for the next d...
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