At about 1545 on Friday, 26 December 1997, a jet boat carrying 10 passengers plus the driver, ventured into a shallow tributary of the Lower Shotover River. The driver turned hard left in an attempt to regain the main channel but the boat skidded sideways along a shingle bar for some 10 m before it rolled and came to rest upside down. Several of the passengers and the driver received minor to serious injuries in the accident.
Safety issues identified included the fitting of roll bars and passenger lap belts on commercial jet boats operating in braided rivers, and the recording of the number of passengers carried on each trip. Safety recommendations were made to the Director of Maritime Safety, the chairman of the Commercial Jet Boat Association and the management of Kawarau Jet Limited to address the above safety issues.
