The Board of Trustees at Whangārei Boys’ High School faced serious legal repercussions following a failed outing they organized. The tragic account of their mismanaged expedition was released by the courts and shines a light on the catastrophic slip-ups that led to a disastrous caving expedition.
In a recent hearing at the Whangārei District Court, Judge Greg Davis expressed his distress after examining the facts of the case. He described the read as a disturbing experience that moved him to tears.
The school had an Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) policy, currently under review, at the time of the incident. A disturbing revelation from the fact summary was that the final approval for an activity like caving was at the discretion of the head of PE and health. The policy was followed and the proposal was approved on December 9, 2022.
The outdoor education classes that were scheduled for May 8-12, 2023, for rock climbing and July 24-28, 2023, for caving were abruptly changed. Owing to the risk of slippery rocks during an expected rainfall, a staff member proposed to swap the rock climbing session with caving. This request was approved after three days, and parents were promptly notified.
An overlooking staff member perused the weather forecast and took notice of a thunderstorm warning but chose to continue with the caving expedition on May 8. The group explored Organ, Middle, and Ivy caves without problems.
On the night of May 8, a concerned parent inquired if the session was still planned after becoming cognizant of the impending weather. They received a reassurance message from the school telling them that they were keeping a close watch on the weather and that they anticipated the children to be out of the caves by 1:30 PM.
The teacher in charge reviewed the rain radar on the morning of May 9 and noted significant rainfall moving from Kaitāia, yet the trip was still green-lighted. He failed, however, to check for any rain warnings for Whangārei and severely underestimated the severity and timing of the weather event.
Expert meteorologist Mike Green attested that Whangārei had experienced rainfall 2.5 times higher than the average for April, and a severe weather warning was in place at the time of the tragic field trip.
The pupils were supplied with caving overalls, helmets, headlamps, and gumboots and were told to stay in the upper reaches of Organ Cave.
The tragedy marked several worrying shortcomings of the school, notably their failure to gauge the weather warnings, lack of backup planning, inadequate supervision, lack of effective communication, and poor risk administration.
The accident’s details were a chilling reminder of how severe negligence can lead to disastrous consequences. Parents of the students have urged for stricter scrutiny of outdoor activities and stressed the importance of considering climate change while carrying out safety risks assessments for outdoor events. They have also recommended shutting the caves for unguided tours.
Following the incident, the Board of Trustees were subject to hefty fines, ordered to pay more than $500,000 in reparations to the victims.
