No sign of missing rafter

Press, 30 September 1986, Page 6

No sign of missing rafter

PA Dunedin A water safety officer who was at the start and finish of Sunday’s tragic raft race on the Clutha River has expressed concern about the running of the event. The Alexandra spokesman for the New Zealand Water Safety Council, Mr Des Courtney, said yesterday that the rules banning alcohol and making lifejackets compulsory should have been policed more rigidly. Searchers yesterday failed to find any sign of Tiaki Teremoana Bryan, of Alexandra, who is missing, presumed drowned, after his raft overturned during the Alexandra Blossom Festival raft race from Clyde to Alexandra. To assist those looking for Mr Bryan yesterday, the Electricity Division of

the Ministry of Energy lowered the level of the river by about a metre. The search will continue today. Mr Courtney said that for a number of years local water safety officers had been concerned about the running of the race. They felt the rules laid down for the event by the organisers should be policed more rigidly, he said. “I noticed a number of crew members from different rafts without lifejackets, both at the start and at the finish of the race, and was quite concerned about the alcohol on some of the rafts.” Mr Courtney said there could have been more tragedies had lifejackets not been worn by the crew members on the other two rafts that capsized.