Tragedy at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre

The worst I could imagine when I was working at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre of New Zealand has happened. A young woman instructor took a group of students on a Centre approved adventure last week, and 6 students and their teacher died. The instructor and 3 students lived. Were mistakes made? Of course. Death is never an acceptable adventure outcome and this was not just "an act of God". Risks were taken that in hindsight look totally inappropriate. An adventure was undertaken that we could not even attempt as part of an insured center in the US. But the fact is hindsight is too easy, and I was a part of that system. Something similar could have happened on my watch.

What this group was doing was "canyoning". Going into a restricted, boulder strewn canyon with a river running through it. I was in that very canyon several times. I wore my wet suit, helmet, and life jacket, just like this group. It was always spooky and exciting. I never did take my own group there, and that was okay with me. I rappeled in with staff for training and group building, spending several hours boulder hopping, wading, swimming, climbing, and scrambling back out again. The tragic group walked up from the bottom, for an up and back down again trip. While they were in there a drought breaking storm hit the volcanoes 4km away and the river rose very high, very fast. As they attempted to exit the gorge most of the group was swept over a dam and further down river. There is a full investigation happening now and it will continue for months. The families and friends of the victims are devastated, as are the OPC staff and the greater community. This is a complete tragedy in all senses of the word. I feel deeply for that instructor. The situation is horrifying.

I survived my time at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre, as did all of my students. Not just survived but thrived. There were marvelous adventures had, growth galore, lives changed and uplifted. It was a peak experience in many ways. The OPC has given so much to the world, that Sir Edmund Hillary was willing to lend it his name. He was the first to summit Everest and of course knew all about the risks of adventures. New Zealanders in general are fantastically adventurous folks, and their country one of the best places on earth for adventures. In our world today, I believe that outdoor pursuits are an antidote to many of societies ills. They bring out the best in people and put society into great perspective. But. But they must always be weighed and measured. And this is the tricky part. This is what will really be investigated. Were the risks appropriate. For the students, the instructor, the staff, the Centre itself. Was the chain of decision making appropriate. Were all of the risk mitigating factors and systems in place correctly. Huge questions and many will be answered philosophically because they cannot be fully answered technically. If we looked at all the risks in the world we would never go anywhere. And what kind of life is that? But now that I am a mom I see it all more clearly, or maybe life is held more dearly. I have always been a safety nut, while at the same time pursuing adventure sports. I have lived that delicate balance. Now that I have a son, it is all getting re-weighed. I know the rewards of the outdoors (they are fantastic), and I try to take into account all the risks (they are vast). I hope to pass along both of those areas of knowledge, and keep getting out there myself. When done right it is still all less risky than getting into a car. But the fact is there are seven young people who died last week due to outdoor adventures, and many others left behind to sort it all out. I feel for everyone, and especially that instructor.