The board of the Whangārei Boys’ High School has broken their silence after the Abbey Caves tragedy, where a 15-year-old student died.
Karnin Petera was on a trip to the caves with 14 other classmates and two adults fwhen rising floodwaters separated him from the rest of the group on Tuesday morning.
In a message to the community on Thursday afternoon, the board said Karnin was a treasured a deeply loved son, brother, friend and an inspiration to fellow year 11 students.
“As Trustees and parents, we share the hurt this event has caused,” the statement said.
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Earlier on Thursday, his family confirmed on social media that he had died in the caves.
Police and WorkSafe have launched a joint investigation but will give those involved some time to grieve before being questioned, police say.
Police first received a call about a group “in difficulty” at the caves near Whangārei at 10.26am on Tuesday, with the body recovered about 9.30pm.
“It is with deep sadness that we wish to inform you that our beautiful boy Karnin Ahorangi Petera has indeed tragically passed away during the unfortunate incident at the Abbey Caves,” Kim Cuddy, the boy’s auntie, posted on social media.
Breakfast
The group from Whangārei Boys High School were in Abbey Caves when it was hit by a severe weather event.
“He is now laying in state at his home surrounded by all his Whānau and friends.
We would also like to extend a welcome to anyone else from the community who also loved our baby boy and want to pay their respects.”
Despite the search being called of at around 5pm on Tuesday, a body was later recovered using specialist equipment “late” that evening, police said.
On Wednesday, Petera’s family thanked emergency responders for their “tireless efforts” in a social media post.
David White/Stuff
Torrential rain brought Auckland and Northland to a standstill on Tuesday.
“On behalf of the whānau of the missing WBHS student, we cannot express how grateful we are to all those who were involved in helping us find and bring our baby boy back to us,” Cuddy wrote, who gave Stuff permission to quote her.
“Police, fire crew, search and rescue, medical crew and so much more. We all felt so supported and cared for throughout the entire process. Your tireless efforts and aroha will be with us forever.”
Cuddy also thanked the public for their “prayers and kind words”.
Stuff previously revealed that the group caught up in the floodwaters were meant to be rock climbing, but bad weather had forced the trip underground instead.
David White/Stuff
Investigations on behalf of the Coroner and WorkSafe into the death have been launched.
In an email sent to parents last Friday, the school’s head of outdoor education Stevie Huurnink said that due to “forecasted rain” they had to modify “planned trips”.
Whangārei Boys’ High School principal Karen Gilbert-Smith has thus far refused to answer questions about the death.
Investigation will be thorough – police
The investigation into what occurred in the Abbey Caves tragedy will be robust and thorough, said Northland District Commander, Superintendent Tony Hill.
Police, working on behalf of the Coroner, and WorkSafe will jointly investigate the incident but are still at the early stages, he said.
Supplied
Superintendent Tony Hill says investigators will allow those involved a short time to grieve before they are questioned. (File photo)
“We don’t want to put people through further stress than necessary – for many people these events will be hard to relive.”
Investigators will allow the people involved to have a short time to grieve before they are questioned, Hill said
He urged the public not to jump to conclusions about the incident or who was responsible, but to wait for the investigation to conclude.
Hill revealed a specialist caving team from Northland was involved in the search and recovery of the boy on Tuesday.
Specialist equipment, including camera equipment, was also flown up from Auckland by police helicopter, enabling the recovery on Tuesday night.
Denise Piper/Stuff
Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis talks about the Whangārei caving tragedy being the worst nightmare.
On Thursday afternoon, Minister of Education Jan Tinetti fielded questions about the death.
“I want to take the time to support the family, principal, school, the young people involved. At the centre of this, we’ve got a beautiful young boy that didn’t come home, and never will again,” Tinetti said.
Tinetti said she expected answers around the circumstances of the death would begin to come next week.
“While we don’t like these kinds of events, they’re often a time for us to take stock,” she said.
