Executive summary
On Monday, 20 January 1997, at about 1255 a jet boat carrying ten passengers plus the driver, and a substantial amount of water in the cockpit, was proceeding up the Ngaawapurua (Fulljames) "Rapid", when it lost engine power, took on more water and foundered in the rapid. The 11 occupants escaped to the river bank uninjured. Causes included the driver's failure to notice the substantial amount of water in the cockpit which affected the performance of the boat, reduced the freeboard and caused the engine to stop.
A safety issue identified was the carriage of more than the approved number of passengers. Safety recommendations were made to the operator, the Waikato Regional Council and the Taupo District Council regarding the regulation of operators on the Waikato River.
Related Recommendations
In consultation with the commercial jet boat industry, expand the section on Bilge Pumping in the Code of Practice for the safety of Commercial Jet Boats Operating on Rivers to reflect the following: Where practicable, bilge pumps should be activated automatically and the driver should be provided with an indicator which shows when each pump is operating; and where practicable, the overboard discharge(s) should be located in a position where the driver can observe the discharge.