Killed jet boater was a ‘good mate’
The man killed in a jet boat crash in Central Otago was an experienced driver who competed around the world.
Christchurch man Cameron Moore, 45, died after the boat he was in crashed into a steep bank of the Clutha River on Sunday during the Otago Rivers Jet Boat Race.
Moore died at the scene, upstream of the Luggate Bridge. His navigator, 34-yearold Rangiora man Adam Wilton, suffered a concussion and broken fingers and was flown to Dunedin Hospital.
A witness at the scene said the boat crashed into a bank by a willow tree. The boat apparently slid about 20 metres up a
40m bank.
The New Zealand Jet Boat River Racing Association said in a statement it had lost one of its ‘‘family’’ in the crash. Moore was a passionate competitor and supporter of jet boat racing, the statement said.
Association president John Derry said Moore was a ‘‘good mate to the racing fraternity’’ and ran his own race team. ‘‘We all know and accept the risk of competitive motorsport but in our small close-knit jet boat racing community this is a particularly difficult time.’’
The association expressed its ‘‘heartfelt condolences’’ to Moore’s family.
The Christchurch father was a serious contender in every jet boat class he entered and raced internationally numerous times, Derry said. He also raced rally cars and enjoyed other motorsports.
‘‘He was a lover of all things motor racing.’’
Moore was also well-known in recreational outdoor pursuits through his ownership of the Ballinger’s Hunting and Fishing store in Tower Junction, Christchurch.
Hunting and Fishing New Zealand chief executive Darren Jacobs said in a statement, Moore’s death was a ‘‘great loss’’ to the Hunting and Fishing community.
‘‘He was a popular, respected and highly successful member of our owneroperator community and our condolences go to his family, friends, colleagues and staff at this difficult time.’’
The remainder of the two-day event was called off after the crash, which happened during the first of two afternoon legs about 1.15pm on Sunday. No other boat was involved. Police and Maritime New Zealand are investigating.
The association said the race boat left the water on a straight section of the river, coming to rest on a steep embankment. River racing paramedics attended from the event’s patrol boats, along with a rescue helicopter.
Derry said the association would carry out its own investigation and work with both agencies to determine what happened.
It was the second fatal crash for the sport in three years, after Duayne Insley, 47, died on the Waimakariri River during the World Championship Jet Boat Marathon in October 2017.
‘‘Any motorsport is dangerous, as people who do motorsport know,’’ Derry said.
‘‘There hasn’t been fatalities for years, and, unfortunately, we’ve had two in the last three years.’’
The race was two days long, starting in the Waitaki River on Saturday and finishing in the Matukituki and Clutha rivers on Sunday.
Derry confirmed the boat came to rest on a steep bank.
He said it happened about 2 kilometres above the Luggate Bridge.
Wilton was recovering in Dunedin Hospital, the association said in its statement.
Maritime New Zealand southern regional compliance manager Mike Vredenburg said two investigators had been on the scene since Sunday gathering information.
The agency would interview the people involved, conduct scene examinations and check documents as part of the investigation, he said.
Police said in a statement that the area was difficult to access and it would take some time to establish the cause of the fatal crash.
The incident happened just one day after 10 people were injured when the jet boat they were on crashed into a vertical canyon near Queenstown.
On Saturday, nine passengers and a Skippers Canyon Jet driver were injured in a crash about 10am.
One person – a Canadian woman – was taken to Dunedin Hospital with a broken leg. The others suffered minor injuries.
The company has temporarily suspended its operations while an initial investigation into the cause of the crash is carried out.