Call to rethink ski-ing signs

Press, 14 March 1987, Page 4

Call to rethink ski-ing signs

A Coroner has suggested that a ski company should consider sign posting in other languages as well as English. The District Coroner at Ashburton, Mr Laurence Cooney, was commenting on the death of a Japanese woman who died on Mount Hutt last October. He was satisfied she was ski-ing in an out-of-bounds area. He found that Kazumi Wakasa, aged 26, who was honeymooning in the area, died on Mount Hutt at about 11.30 a.m. on October 31, while ski-ing the south-western slopes. She had multiple traumatic injuries resulting from a ski-ing accident. Commenting on the case, Mr Cooney said it

was not for him to apportion blame or fault, but it was clear she chose to ignore signs which stated the area was out of bounds. However, he accepted too that the signposts were all in English.

While the woman had chosen to ski there at her own risk, Mr Cooney suggested the ski company should consider signposting in other languages as well as English. He wondered if international warning signs were available.

He also expressed the hope that the ski company had taken the opportunity to review its procedures and made all staff aware of them.