Students Suffer Outdoor Disaster Due to Government Negligence

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Tatiana: There isn't a minimum
height where you can fall

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without possibly getting injured.

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The higher you are, the
more dangerous the fall.

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The median height leading to
death is about 49 feet, which is

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roughly four or five stories high.

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And after 85 feet, nearly
100% of people will die.

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But what do you do when you fall?

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You put your hands down in front of
you, or if you're falling backwards,

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some people reached behind.

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But what if you don't have time to
process the fact that you're falling.

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One second, you're standing on a
platform, looking out over a ledge

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and enjoying the beautiful wilderness
you're surrounded with by your friends.

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And the very next second
you're on the ground.

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But the height you fell
from is over 85 feet high.

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It's actually 100 feet high.

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For Stacy Mitchell, he
had that type of fall.

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One second.

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He was standing on a platform
over a ledge at cave Creek.

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They were enjoying the wilderness
and the beauty all around them.

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And the very next second, the platform
they were standing on collapsed.

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For a few seconds.

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He laid there trying to
process what happened.

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Trying to come to terms with where he was
at now, because he wasn't looking out over

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the ledge and talking with his friends
on the field trip they were on anymore.

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No Stacy was now standing
on a shattered platform.

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Some of his school mates were
laying on top of it, around him and

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some of them were underneath it.

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And all he could do was
look at the scared faces.

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of his group, counselor, and
another classmate who weren't on

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the platform and ask what happened.

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Because after this, they would spend
the next few hours waiting for help.

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That took too long to come.

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While they watched their classmates die.

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This is the story.

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Of the cave Creek disaster.

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Where a platform built
by government officials.

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Was constructed so poorly.

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That it collapsed and led
to the death of 18 people.

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And how they had to sit around
for hours waiting for help.

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While, one rescue
helicopter flew above them.

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I'm, Tatiana.

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And this is occurrence.

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There was the Steven Hannon before
the collapse and the Stephen after.

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Before the collapse, Stephen was active
and fit and enjoyed the outdoors.

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Running around and hiking and hunting
where some of the things he liked to do.

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After the collapse, he had a
different appreciation of life.

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But things are harder now.

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Just going to grab something
from the kitchen was hard.

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He had a lot of bad days.

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More than most, but he had
a lot of good days too.

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If he's able to try something, he will,
but he missed how easy things used to be.

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Before he joined the
school's outdoor program.

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There was a Polytechnic school
in gray mouth, New Zealand.

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That had an outdoor program.

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There were 40 students
enrolled in the program.

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And they came from all over the country.

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They all had a common love of the outdoors
and that's what caused them to enroll.

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It was a lot of students first
time being away from home.

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So most of them lived
in the hostel on campus.

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Andrew McCarthy was actually a physics
teacher at the Catholic school.

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Next door.

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His daughter, Catherine, who they called
Kathy was in the Polytechnic program.

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And every single year he can't
help, but to make sure his

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students understood a few things.

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One that if you ignore
physics, people die.

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And to what went wrong in cave Creek.

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Kathy was a tenacious girl who got
into it with her dad sometimes,

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but was always encouraging.

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She lived with her mom up until she
enrolled into the Polytechnic program

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where she then went to live with her dad.

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The group would regularly go
on field trips and they usually

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divided into two groups to do it.

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Group a and group B.

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The first day group a would
go onto the field trip while

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group B stayed back on campus.

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And then the next day they would
flip flop with group B going on

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the trip and group a staying back.

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So on April 27th, 1995, it was
group ACE turned To visit this

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tourist destination called cave
Creek in Paparoa national park.

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It was part of a system of wilderness,
caves and rivers and the perfect

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place for an outdoor activities group.

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After making it to Poona cakey bay
drove less than a mile north before

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turning onto Bala Creek farm road.

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They drove down it for 20 minutes
before parking the vehicles, the

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department of conservation who I'll
call doc provided during tours in a

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flat area off to the side of the road.

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From there, they walked on foot and
everyone was super excited to visit

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a place they hadn't been before.

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And to maybe get to walk
in the water at cave Creek.

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John Skilton was a Polytechnic tutor and
in charge of the group for this trip.

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The first step along the trail was to
check out the view from the wooden viewing

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platform off the right side of the trail.

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When the students laid eyes on
it, they all rushed onto it.

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To check out the view overlooking
allege 100 feet above cave Creek.

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But once they rushed onto the
platform, a student dropped their

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umbrella accidentally over the ledge.

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So everyone leaned forward
to watch it fall down.

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There were looking out over the platform,
the railing on it was about waist high.

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But when everyone leaned forward on
the platform to look at the umbrella

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fall, some people felt it flex a little.

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It rocked forwards and
backwards really briefly.

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Surely Slatter who was a conservation
officer for Poona KCI said she felt this

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bouncing and jerking sensation on the
platform and it kind of made her nervous.

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And after some kids said, what
would happen if we started jumping,

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you know how some people are the
ones who just kind of like to scare

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everyone else with their antics.

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Maybe you've been on a
Ferris wheel with them.

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And they're the person that rocks the
ferris wheel will see to see what happens

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or the person that you're standing on
a sketchy bridge with and they shake

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it or jump just to see what happens.

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I'm sure everyone has encountered
that type of person or has

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been that type of person.

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But either way, those kids were
the ones who started jumping.

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Everyone took it pretty lightly.

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It didn't concern them, I guess.

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Surely felt like it wasn't
stable enough for all of them

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to be on it, especially jumping.

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So she asked for half of them to get
off and told everyone to stop jumping.

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She noticed a wooden post
in the front wavering a bit.

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And she hadn't seen that before,
but for the most part group ACE

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trip passed relatively smoothly.

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Once surely .Got back to headquarters.

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She mentioned what happened
to her boss, Steven.

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Oh day.

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And not to get mixed up with the Stephen.

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I mentioned before.

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I'll call him officer O'dea

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so Shirley asked officer
O'Dea to check it out.

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He was supposed to leave the next day to
go up north for his son's eighth birthday.

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But instead decided to postpone
in order to go with group B and

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surely the next day to check it out.

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The next day on the 28th.

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It's time for group B strip.

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On the way there any best friends with
Leanne was driving, and stalled their

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van in a puddle on the way to Poona KCI.

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It was a funny experience
in something unexpected, but

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lighthearted to get the day started.

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It was a beautiful day.

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It was clear and they could
see all the way at the coast.

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And one student in group B
mentioned how he wanted to climb

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the cliffs on the coast one day.

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They took the same route.

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That group aided the day before.

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Through the farm and onto the trail.

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And when they got to the top of
the hill, right before the part of

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the trail leading to the platform.

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Leanne said that she started falling
behind because her knee was feeling

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sore and she couldn't keep up with
the fast walkers in the main group.

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Right around that time.

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Surely who was leading the
tour group, slipped into a sit,

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her ankle a little further up.

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After she did that, she kind of sat for
a minute and decided that she wanted

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to go relieve herself in the bushes.

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And she just asked officer O'Dea her boss
and John to continue on with the group.

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She goes and handles her
business in the bushes.

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And before they actually get to
the platform, John decided he

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needed to relieve himself to.

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So he branched off to relieve
himself about 20 meters away

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from where the platform was.

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And that left.

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Officer And 17 students.

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To go look out over the
outlook from the platform.

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In total, there are about five in the
group that weren't on the platform.

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Three students, John, the counselor,
and surely the conservation officer.

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And suddenly those five people
heard an indescribable sound.

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And screaming.

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They ran over to where they
heard the noise coming from.

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And the three students who
hadn't been there before, didn't

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know what they were looking at.

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Because there was nothing there.

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They could see a couple of steps off
to the side with nothing attached.

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It just looked like a normal
slope, looking out over the valley.

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But they could hear the
screams that hadn't stopped.

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For John and Shirley who had been there
and knew what should have been there.

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They immediately jumped into action.

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Once they realized the
platform had fallen down.

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18 people standing on
that wooden platform.

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Fell 100 feet to the bottom of cave Creek.

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So Shirley grabbed a student named
mark and they ran all the way back

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to the cars to radio for help.

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But when they got there, Shirley
realized she didn't have the keys.

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There were three trucks
there with radios attached.

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And they could only work
if the vehicles were on.

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One set of keys was with Steve and
he was at the bottom of cave Creek.

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So surely looked at the three vehicles
she couldn't use that were unlocked

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and couldn't start and look to mark
and told him he had to run as fast

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as he could to the nearest house down
the almost four and a half mile road.

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Mark is in a panic, but before he leaves,
Shirley was smart enough to write a note.

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And that note said.

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Quote.

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This is an emergency.

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We have 15 people approximately
seriously injured.

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We need helicopters, scoot nets,
medics, crash, nets, and manpower.

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We are at cave Creek resurgence top
platform collapsed 100 foot drop.

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End quote.

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And then he was on his way.

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But a little after he left,
Shirley ended up running into

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two cyclists who she sent after.

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Mark.

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They managed to catch up to him.

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And one of them gave mark his
bike for him to ride to the house.

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By the time he made it to
the house to call for help.

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It was 12, 15.

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And mark was too distressed and
breathless to finish the phone call.

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So the homeowner ended up finishing it
by reading the note that Shirley wrote.

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And at this point, it had been 50
minutes since the platform collapsed.

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A rescue helicopter, an air
force chopper with four medics.

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Three firetrucks and a local
rescue team were dispatched.

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Meanwhile, John and the two other
students, Darren and Leanne were

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making their way to the bottom of cave
Creek to check on everyone who fell.

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Before they could go down, John
pulled them aside and warn them

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about what they were going to see.

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But nothing could have prepared
them for what happened next.

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Once they got to the bottom, all
they could see was the platform

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destroyed on top of rocks.

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There were two large rocks with space
in between them and the platform

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landed on top of those rocks.

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There were some people laying on
top of the platform, but most of

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the people were underneath it.

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I'll explain exactly how that happened
later, but once they got down there, they

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had a slight feeling of amazement when
among the students laying all around.

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Stacy stood up.

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When the platform fell, he was
standing in a spot where he was

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able to grab onto the wood and kind
of slide down after the platform.

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He was mostly uninjured and John
told him to go sit with Carolyn.

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A, student screaming and yelling at
them to get her out and suffering with

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a leg that was broken in three places.

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At this time, pretty much the only
thing that could be heard with

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students, screaming and crying.

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Another student.

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Named Scotty.

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was also screaming and they
couldn't get him to stop.

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He just wanted to be freed since he
was trapped under four other students

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and was becoming increasingly agitated.

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It was such a tight space between
the rocks and under the platform

236
00:12:06,464 --> 00:12:09,524
that they had a hard time getting
under there to check on other people.

237
00:12:10,024 --> 00:12:13,384
The group spent the next hour
separating the injured from

238
00:12:13,384 --> 00:12:14,584
the ones who didn't make it.

239
00:12:15,084 --> 00:12:18,934
And after that hour, There were
only six students still alive.

240
00:12:19,434 --> 00:12:21,564
One was unconscious and breathing poorly.

241
00:12:22,064 --> 00:12:22,904
His name was kit.

242
00:12:23,404 --> 00:12:27,184
Kay was raised on a large sheep station
where both of his parents worked.

243
00:12:27,484 --> 00:12:32,104
He was a bit of a troublemaker, but it was
only his way of trying to be different.

244
00:12:32,604 --> 00:12:36,234
He was excited to be in the program
and felt like he found his people.

245
00:12:36,734 --> 00:12:39,644
This was about the time that
surely came back to the platform.

246
00:12:40,144 --> 00:12:44,554
She got clothing from the vehicles and was
going down to ask John where Steve was So

247
00:12:44,554 --> 00:12:46,354
she could get the keys to the vehicles.

248
00:12:46,854 --> 00:12:49,764
But all John could tell
her was that he was sorry.

249
00:12:50,244 --> 00:12:51,024
Steve was dead.

250
00:12:51,524 --> 00:12:53,234
She couldn't really process that.

251
00:12:53,734 --> 00:12:57,574
At this point, everyone was in such
a focus mode, trying to help who they

252
00:12:57,574 --> 00:13:01,414
could, that they didn't really have time
to process the gravity of what happened.

253
00:13:01,914 --> 00:13:05,784
But for Leanne, when she
saw her best friend, any.

254
00:13:05,834 --> 00:13:06,704
at the bottom.

255
00:13:07,204 --> 00:13:08,194
That's where she lost it.

256
00:13:08,694 --> 00:13:11,154
Because Annie was at the
bottom of everything.

257
00:13:11,654 --> 00:13:15,434
All of the students, the conservation
officer and the platform.

258
00:13:15,934 --> 00:13:18,934
The way she looked Leann,
almost felt relieved.

259
00:13:18,964 --> 00:13:23,314
She wasn't alive because she wouldn't
have wanted her to be in that state.

260
00:13:23,814 --> 00:13:28,824
After an hour and a half past, everyone
started to wonder if help was ever coming.

261
00:13:29,094 --> 00:13:30,654
If the message was ever sent.

262
00:13:31,154 --> 00:13:34,154
And just as Darren was about
to leave, to go send a second

263
00:13:34,154 --> 00:13:35,504
message, to get help to them.

264
00:13:35,894 --> 00:13:37,634
A helicopter arrived overhead.

265
00:13:38,134 --> 00:13:41,254
It was 100 minutes after
the platform Collapsed.

266
00:13:41,754 --> 00:13:43,464
Now one 10 in the afternoon.

267
00:13:43,964 --> 00:13:47,504
The helicopter was there, but there was
still no medical help on the ground.

268
00:13:48,004 --> 00:13:51,634
So John and Shirley were forced to
pick who would be airlifted first.

269
00:13:52,114 --> 00:13:56,314
They had no medical training and no basis
of determining who should go first or

270
00:13:56,314 --> 00:13:57,994
even how to make that decision at all.

271
00:13:58,494 --> 00:13:59,004
Do you pay it?

272
00:13:59,034 --> 00:14:00,984
Who has the highest chance of survival?

273
00:14:01,484 --> 00:14:01,934
Do you pay it?

274
00:14:01,964 --> 00:14:03,584
Who has the worst injuries?

275
00:14:04,084 --> 00:14:06,724
Do you bother sending someone
who you don't think has the

276
00:14:06,724 --> 00:14:10,534
best chance of survival before
sending those who, you know, will.

277
00:14:11,034 --> 00:14:13,194
They struggled to choose between Sam.

278
00:14:13,554 --> 00:14:14,094
And Scotty.

279
00:14:14,594 --> 00:14:16,334
But figured Sam was worse off.

280
00:14:16,364 --> 00:14:18,434
So they put him on the stretcher first.

281
00:14:18,934 --> 00:14:22,234
They weren't actually sure how to
put someone on the stretcher securely

282
00:14:22,534 --> 00:14:26,554
and safely, but the helicopter was so
loud that they ask it to go away for

283
00:14:26,554 --> 00:14:30,154
a bit until they got him strapped on
and then asked for it to come back.

284
00:14:30,654 --> 00:14:32,994
Scotty was getting increasingly agitated.

285
00:14:32,994 --> 00:14:35,394
So they decided they would send him next.

286
00:14:35,894 --> 00:14:40,004
But he was becoming so loud and
everyone was already so upset

287
00:14:40,034 --> 00:14:43,334
and distraught that they decided
to get away from him for a bit.

288
00:14:43,834 --> 00:14:46,534
Just so that he wouldn't
be so loud next to them.

289
00:14:47,034 --> 00:14:47,994
But after a minute,

290
00:14:48,504 --> 00:14:49,254
he got quiet.

291
00:14:49,754 --> 00:14:53,324
And when they went to check on him,
they realized he stopped breathing.

292
00:14:53,824 --> 00:14:56,884
It felt like everyone stopped
breathing when that happened.

293
00:14:57,384 --> 00:15:02,244
At some point during this time, One mom
said that the news just came on and she

294
00:15:02,244 --> 00:15:06,324
heard that there was an accident that
killed 15 people that were there that day.

295
00:15:06,824 --> 00:15:10,994
She sat and waited to hear from Peter
Shaw, her son, who was on the trip.

296
00:15:11,494 --> 00:15:16,084
Peter was heavily involved in search
and rescue since the age of 13 and had

297
00:15:16,084 --> 00:15:18,694
his own team that he was leading by 18.

298
00:15:19,194 --> 00:15:22,374
He would have moved mountains to
make sure she knew he was okay.

299
00:15:22,874 --> 00:15:24,164
She wouldn't hear anything.

300
00:15:24,664 --> 00:15:25,594
Until 9:00 PM.

301
00:15:26,094 --> 00:15:29,874
When the helicopter came back,
they decided to send Carolyn Smith

302
00:15:29,874 --> 00:15:32,184
next, since she had a broken leg.

303
00:15:32,214 --> 00:15:34,914
And at this point it was
two in the afternoon.

304
00:15:35,414 --> 00:15:38,774
After her, they sent Stacy,
since he didn't appear to be

305
00:15:38,774 --> 00:15:40,634
visibly injured, he went last.

306
00:15:41,134 --> 00:15:42,124
And then first

307
00:15:42,124 --> 00:15:44,854
responders finally arrived on scene.

308
00:15:45,354 --> 00:15:47,394
On the ground where the injured were at.

309
00:15:47,894 --> 00:15:51,794
One of them helped Leanne, who
was again, extremely distraught.

310
00:15:52,294 --> 00:15:56,314
And once the first responders arrived,
Steven was actually able to get help.

311
00:15:56,814 --> 00:15:59,904
They couldn't move him before or
get him airlifted out Because he

312
00:15:59,904 --> 00:16:03,744
had spinal injuries and they weren't
qualified enough to even try to move

313
00:16:03,744 --> 00:16:05,334
him without making things worse.

314
00:16:05,834 --> 00:16:10,394
So practically three hours after
they collapse a person with severe

315
00:16:10,424 --> 00:16:12,614
spinal injuries was able to get help.

316
00:16:13,114 --> 00:16:17,044
And Stephen's injuries were so severe that
I'll actually get back into that later.

317
00:16:17,544 --> 00:16:20,874
At around two 30, Shirley
and John finally left.

318
00:16:21,374 --> 00:16:25,484
John and the survivors didn't get back
to gray mouth until 7:00 PM that night.

319
00:16:25,984 --> 00:16:29,854
During that time, it took three
hours for the police and air teams to

320
00:16:29,854 --> 00:16:31,954
airlift out the 14 who didn't make it.

321
00:16:32,454 --> 00:16:36,444
By six 15, the bodies had been
laid out for identification at a

322
00:16:36,444 --> 00:16:38,334
temporary morgue at a hospital.

323
00:16:38,834 --> 00:16:41,624
But it wouldn't be until 8:00 PM.

324
00:16:41,984 --> 00:16:44,354
For formal identification to be complete.

325
00:16:44,854 --> 00:16:45,784
And only then.

326
00:16:46,284 --> 00:16:49,884
Eight hours after the collapse,
could parents be notified?

327
00:16:50,384 --> 00:16:53,804
For most of the parents, they had
to call around to get answers.

328
00:16:54,304 --> 00:16:57,454
Peter's dad called the police who
told him to call the hospital.

329
00:16:57,954 --> 00:17:00,084
And they told him not to hold out hope.

330
00:17:00,584 --> 00:17:03,584
He said the hardest part
was telling Peter's mom.

331
00:17:04,084 --> 00:17:07,324
Some parents had to call the school
counselors to figure out what happened.

332
00:17:07,714 --> 00:17:10,684
And they would be confused,
wondering why the police hadn't

333
00:17:10,684 --> 00:17:11,944
contacted the parents yet.

334
00:17:12,003 --> 00:17:13,924
And that's how they found out.

335
00:17:14,424 --> 00:17:18,773
For some parents, they said that it didn't
become real until certain things happened.

336
00:17:19,273 --> 00:17:24,174
For Evan Stuart's parents who raised Evan
on a sheep and cattle farm and said, Evan

337
00:17:24,174 --> 00:17:26,064
loved the outdoors and rock climbing.

338
00:17:26,564 --> 00:17:27,794
After milling, he was dead.

339
00:17:27,824 --> 00:17:29,504
They wanted to do the funeral quickly.

340
00:17:30,004 --> 00:17:32,824
Up until that point, the dad
was able to hold it together.

341
00:17:32,974 --> 00:17:36,924
But when he was asked about
cremation or burial, He lost it.

342
00:17:37,424 --> 00:17:41,864
For Alison Blackman's mom, three
things made it very real for her.

343
00:17:42,364 --> 00:17:46,534
One was the person that called and
told her there was an awful accident.

344
00:17:47,034 --> 00:17:50,694
Then the minister calling
with a grave sounding voice.

345
00:17:51,194 --> 00:17:53,954
And last was meeting with
the funeral director.

346
00:17:54,454 --> 00:17:57,784
Officer oh His mom received a
call about him being dead and

347
00:17:57,784 --> 00:17:59,644
asking if she would identify him.

348
00:18:00,144 --> 00:18:01,674
That's how she found out.

349
00:18:02,174 --> 00:18:05,984
Steven Hansen, the one who had to
be airlifted by trained paramedics

350
00:18:05,984 --> 00:18:11,324
due to spinal injuries, suffered
with broken legs, arms ribs,

351
00:18:11,384 --> 00:18:13,214
and his jaw in three places.

352
00:18:13,714 --> 00:18:17,584
His bowel was ruptured and he had a
collapsed lung and smashed vertebrae.

353
00:18:18,084 --> 00:18:22,614
He had incomplete tetraplegia and
spent 16 months in the hospital

354
00:18:22,884 --> 00:18:24,774
and had over 10 procedures.

355
00:18:25,274 --> 00:18:29,234
The day after the accident, the parents
went to cave Creek to see what happened.

356
00:18:29,734 --> 00:18:33,184
They needed answers for why their
children were no longer with them.

357
00:18:33,684 --> 00:18:36,894
And when they got to the location
where the platform was supposed to be.

358
00:18:37,394 --> 00:18:38,204
They were shocked.

359
00:18:38,704 --> 00:18:40,384
Because there was no platform.

360
00:18:40,774 --> 00:18:44,554
There were no supports, no
counterweights, nothing was there.

361
00:18:45,054 --> 00:18:49,164
They could only cross their fingers to
hope an official inquiry would be started.

362
00:18:49,664 --> 00:18:52,484
At the same time the police had
started their investigation.

363
00:18:52,724 --> 00:18:56,894
And the director general of the department
of conservation and the acting minister

364
00:18:56,894 --> 00:18:58,934
of conservation visited the site.

365
00:18:59,434 --> 00:19:03,484
The following Monday, there was a Memorial
service that the prime minister attended.

366
00:19:03,934 --> 00:19:06,884
And that very day, the
inquiry was announced.

367
00:19:07,384 --> 00:19:10,804
It started in July and would
go until September and it

368
00:19:10,804 --> 00:19:12,454
looked at a variety of things.

369
00:19:12,954 --> 00:19:15,894
Each thing increasingly more infuriating.

370
00:19:16,314 --> 00:19:19,164
And just wait till you hear
what happens at the end.

371
00:19:19,664 --> 00:19:23,204
So there was a lawyer representing
the victims and survivors and

372
00:19:23,204 --> 00:19:26,834
families, and then one representing
the department of conservation.

373
00:19:26,894 --> 00:19:29,714
Since everyone is like, how
could this have happened?

374
00:19:29,984 --> 00:19:30,914
Who do we blame?

375
00:19:31,414 --> 00:19:33,604
So here's how the platform
ended up collapsing.

376
00:19:34,104 --> 00:19:39,144
To Northern operation managers named
Kevin Wilde and Trevor worthy came

377
00:19:39,144 --> 00:19:43,494
up with this concept of, you know,
this walkthrough bullet Creek farm so

378
00:19:43,524 --> 00:19:47,574
that people could have easy access to
the wilderness while protecting the

379
00:19:47,574 --> 00:19:49,464
environment and ensuring public safety.

380
00:19:49,964 --> 00:19:54,374
Kevin put the manager of the Punakaiki
field office in charge of the platformed.

381
00:19:54,824 --> 00:19:56,174
His name was Craig Murdoch.

382
00:19:56,674 --> 00:19:58,954
Now Craig had never
done anything like that.

383
00:19:58,954 --> 00:20:02,974
So he gave the details to a
worker Named Les Van Dyke who had

384
00:20:02,974 --> 00:20:04,504
never built a platform before.

385
00:20:05,004 --> 00:20:08,964
He wasn't an engineer architect
or anything like that.

386
00:20:09,294 --> 00:20:11,664
He was actually a motor mechanic by trade.

387
00:20:12,164 --> 00:20:15,344
Now they put Vandyke in charge of
this, but I'm going to tell you now

388
00:20:15,344 --> 00:20:18,284
that even though he shouldn't have
been put in charge of building this

389
00:20:18,284 --> 00:20:21,524
platform, this tragedy was not his fault.

390
00:20:22,024 --> 00:20:22,654
In my opinion.

391
00:20:23,154 --> 00:20:26,214
You can have feeling towards him
now, but I think they're going

392
00:20:26,214 --> 00:20:27,444
to change by the end of this.

393
00:20:27,944 --> 00:20:31,604
So Vandyke finished his
plans in November of 1992.

394
00:20:31,664 --> 00:20:33,254
And Kevin Wilde approved it.

395
00:20:33,754 --> 00:20:37,414
He didn't refer the .Plans to
professional engineer, but at the time

396
00:20:37,444 --> 00:20:39,574
it wasn't super common to do that.

397
00:20:40,074 --> 00:20:44,064
Since it was approved, Vandyke
built the prefabricated platform

398
00:20:44,064 --> 00:20:48,264
at the Punakaiki site and that
December the very next month.

399
00:20:48,534 --> 00:20:51,144
Uh, helicopter carried the
platform to cave Creek.

400
00:20:51,644 --> 00:20:55,514
Coincidentally on new year's day, 1993.

401
00:20:55,844 --> 00:21:00,284
Just a few weeks after that a new
building act came into effect, which said

402
00:21:00,284 --> 00:21:04,874
that government departments, including
the doc, had to apply for building

403
00:21:04,874 --> 00:21:06,884
permits through local authorities.

404
00:21:07,274 --> 00:21:10,994
For any structure that if it
collapsed would cause the occupants

405
00:21:11,024 --> 00:21:12,854
to fall more than one meter.

406
00:21:13,354 --> 00:21:17,374
An email about that act was
sent out in June of 1992.

407
00:21:17,794 --> 00:21:20,194
To all the doc managers.

408
00:21:20,694 --> 00:21:23,784
For the next few months, the platform
just kind of sat where it was dropped

409
00:21:23,784 --> 00:21:28,914
by the helicopter by cave Creek
until April 22nd and 23rd of 93.

410
00:21:29,414 --> 00:21:32,114
There were a few working days
that the doc had planned.

411
00:21:32,614 --> 00:21:37,144
18 doc staff were assigned to clear
the tracks and other maintenance tasks.

412
00:21:37,644 --> 00:21:40,944
A group of four was assigned to
assemble the viewing platform.

413
00:21:41,444 --> 00:21:43,574
Kevin Wilde, Mark Davis.

414
00:21:44,054 --> 00:21:46,184
Colin Molqueen and Graham Quinn.

415
00:21:46,684 --> 00:21:50,374
Graham had completed a carpentry
apprenticeship, but that was

416
00:21:50,374 --> 00:21:54,334
pretty much it for the amount of
qualifications people had in this group.

417
00:21:54,834 --> 00:21:59,574
Vandyke, the one assigned to design
the platform was strangely assigned to

418
00:21:59,574 --> 00:22:01,674
another group, upgrading the tracks.

419
00:22:02,174 --> 00:22:06,464
No one in that group of four consulted
his plans or took them to the

420
00:22:06,464 --> 00:22:08,384
site before they started building.

421
00:22:08,884 --> 00:22:13,024
And Dyke's plans had steel
supports, counterweights bolts.

422
00:22:13,324 --> 00:22:13,954
Pretty much.

423
00:22:14,284 --> 00:22:17,644
Most of what is needed to have a
pretty solid platform actually.

424
00:22:18,144 --> 00:22:22,344
Kevin and another person in the group
said that they weren't given the plans or

425
00:22:22,344 --> 00:22:24,234
they didn't remember hearing about them.

426
00:22:24,734 --> 00:22:28,094
Another person said there was very
little discussion about the way they

427
00:22:28,094 --> 00:22:29,594
would actually build the platform.

428
00:22:30,094 --> 00:22:32,404
So I'm sure you can imagine how this went.

429
00:22:32,904 --> 00:22:36,264
They didn't exactly have a plan for the
positioning of the support post for the

430
00:22:36,264 --> 00:22:38,784
platform, which I'm going to call piles.

431
00:22:39,204 --> 00:22:41,184
The engineer in me just can't help it.

432
00:22:41,684 --> 00:22:43,034
There was no good laid out.

433
00:22:43,364 --> 00:22:47,324
They just kind of eyeballed everything
and stuck the piles where they

434
00:22:47,324 --> 00:22:50,744
could fit them around the roots
and rocks that were on the ground.

435
00:22:50,794 --> 00:22:52,984
they weren't laid out in
a straight line at all.

436
00:22:53,254 --> 00:22:57,134
They were literally randomly placed
And I'm guessing they forgot that

437
00:22:57,134 --> 00:23:01,724
where they were building was over
allege because the piles were actually

438
00:23:01,724 --> 00:23:03,524
hammered so far through the earth.

439
00:23:03,974 --> 00:23:06,554
That they were hanging out on
the other side of the ground.

440
00:23:07,054 --> 00:23:11,014
the piles that should have been in the
ground so that they can be supportive.

441
00:23:11,404 --> 00:23:14,254
We're just hanging in the air
on the other side of the ledge.

442
00:23:14,754 --> 00:23:17,724
If they had kept hammering the
piles down, they would have

443
00:23:17,724 --> 00:23:19,224
fallen through then in there.

444
00:23:19,494 --> 00:23:22,914
100 feet down where the platform
would eventually end up.

445
00:23:23,414 --> 00:23:27,554
And speaking of hammers, they used
hammers and nails for the entire design.

446
00:23:28,054 --> 00:23:29,374
Because they didn't have a drill.

447
00:23:29,764 --> 00:23:30,724
They couldn't find one.

448
00:23:31,224 --> 00:23:32,544
No one thought to bring ones.

449
00:23:32,544 --> 00:23:34,914
So they just used hammers and
nails for the whole thing.

450
00:23:35,414 --> 00:23:37,364
200 nails in total to be exact.

451
00:23:37,754 --> 00:23:39,014
Or somewhere around there.

452
00:23:39,494 --> 00:23:42,164
100 on the first day
and 100 on the second.

453
00:23:42,664 --> 00:23:46,264
There were adults there, but because
they didn't have a drill, they

454
00:23:46,264 --> 00:23:47,854
just decided to use the nails.

455
00:23:48,354 --> 00:23:51,594
But I digress to build the
rest of the bridge to attach

456
00:23:51,624 --> 00:23:53,004
the bearings, to the piles.

457
00:23:53,244 --> 00:23:55,494
They put another piece of wood between it.

458
00:23:55,884 --> 00:23:57,654
So you have your support piles.

459
00:23:57,714 --> 00:24:00,654
That's supposed to be in the ground,
but it's actually hanging out

460
00:24:00,654 --> 00:24:02,004
on the other side of the ground.

461
00:24:02,484 --> 00:24:08,184
And then they put a little one to two inch
block of wood in front of it as a support,

462
00:24:08,304 --> 00:24:12,504
and then attach the actual bearing to
support the base level of the platform.

463
00:24:13,004 --> 00:24:16,634
So instead of the nail doing its
job, that it really shouldn't have

464
00:24:16,634 --> 00:24:18,014
been doing in the first place.

465
00:24:18,514 --> 00:24:22,774
It wasn't really doing its job because
this little nail had to go through

466
00:24:22,774 --> 00:24:24,994
about four to six inches of wood.

467
00:24:25,494 --> 00:24:27,294
Before it reached the support pile.

468
00:24:27,794 --> 00:24:32,414
So really the nails didn't make it
even a quarter of a way into the pile.

469
00:24:32,914 --> 00:24:35,104
The nail was pretty much
just there for show.

470
00:24:35,604 --> 00:24:39,894
After that they cut off the access height
of the piles to make it even, and that

471
00:24:39,894 --> 00:24:41,454
would take up most of the first day.

472
00:24:41,954 --> 00:24:44,774
The second day, the group of
four, I came back and detached.

473
00:24:44,774 --> 00:24:48,554
The prefabricated platform that
Bendeich had started previously.

474
00:24:48,914 --> 00:24:51,674
To the top of their construction
that they built the day before.

475
00:24:52,174 --> 00:24:56,074
They decided the amount of
cantilever by pushing the boards

476
00:24:56,134 --> 00:24:59,434
in and out and seeing how much
they could see below the platform.

477
00:24:59,934 --> 00:25:03,534
Cantilever is where one end of a
structure is anchored into place.

478
00:25:03,784 --> 00:25:07,264
While the rest of it just kind of
juts out into space without any

479
00:25:07,264 --> 00:25:09,004
ground underneath it to support it.

480
00:25:09,504 --> 00:25:12,774
So one end of the platform was
on the ground and the rest was

481
00:25:12,804 --> 00:25:14,814
just held out over the ledge.

482
00:25:15,314 --> 00:25:19,034
They determined that aspect of it,
by how much they could see below.

483
00:25:19,534 --> 00:25:21,244
There were no calculations or anything.

484
00:25:21,274 --> 00:25:24,334
It was more like eyeballing
and going, oh, I feel like we

485
00:25:24,334 --> 00:25:26,134
can see too much or too little.

486
00:25:26,634 --> 00:25:30,174
Kevin and another worker spent part
of the second day digging a trench

487
00:25:30,204 --> 00:25:33,444
at the back of the platform while
the others finished the handrails.

488
00:25:33,944 --> 00:25:37,574
They wanted to come back another day
and build the concrete steps to be

489
00:25:37,574 --> 00:25:39,524
attached to the platform by bolts.

490
00:25:40,024 --> 00:25:43,234
That was supposed to act as the
counterweight, but there was no

491
00:25:43,234 --> 00:25:46,744
actual discussion about how, or
when this was going to be done.

492
00:25:47,244 --> 00:25:50,154
And then after this group
finished their platform.

493
00:25:50,544 --> 00:25:55,344
That I'm 100% sure they believe to
be built safely because after they

494
00:25:55,344 --> 00:25:59,334
did it all four of them got onto the
platform and had their picture taken.

495
00:25:59,834 --> 00:26:03,824
They clearly didn't realize how
dangerous it was to be on that platform.

496
00:26:04,324 --> 00:26:05,734
One with how it was built.

497
00:26:06,124 --> 00:26:08,974
But two, because there was
no counterweight on it yet.

498
00:26:09,474 --> 00:26:10,734
But it obviously held.

499
00:26:11,124 --> 00:26:12,204
200 nails and all.

500
00:26:12,704 --> 00:26:15,584
But that counterweight wouldn't
be made for another year.

501
00:26:16,064 --> 00:26:19,994
And during this time the park was
open and that platform was open for

502
00:26:19,994 --> 00:26:22,354
people to get on as they pleased.

503
00:26:22,854 --> 00:26:26,664
During that time period where there
was no kind of wait between 1993

504
00:26:26,664 --> 00:26:29,514
and 94 to official visits happened.

505
00:26:30,014 --> 00:26:34,364
The first one was in September and one
official made a joking remark about

506
00:26:34,364 --> 00:26:38,024
if the necessary building consents
had been filed for the platform.

507
00:26:38,524 --> 00:26:42,694
He would later deny saying that, but
someone reported hearing him say it.

508
00:26:43,194 --> 00:26:48,054
Later in 94, colon mall queen was
asked by Kevin to finish the job

509
00:26:48,084 --> 00:26:52,224
And pour the concrete, but Colin
wasn't given any instructions

510
00:26:52,224 --> 00:26:53,784
on what exactly he was building.

511
00:26:54,024 --> 00:26:55,974
And there was no oversight.

512
00:26:56,474 --> 00:27:00,254
He wasn't told to you steel and
there wasn't even steel on site.

513
00:27:00,754 --> 00:27:04,084
He didn't know why he was pouring the
concrete and he believed that they had

514
00:27:04,084 --> 00:27:05,884
fixed the structure securely enough.

515
00:27:06,304 --> 00:27:09,784
To the piles that he didn't think
pouring the concrete was important

516
00:27:09,784 --> 00:27:11,884
to the safety of the system overall.

517
00:27:12,384 --> 00:27:14,214
He didn't know why he
was pouring the concrete.

518
00:27:14,214 --> 00:27:16,374
He just thought it was steps.

519
00:27:16,524 --> 00:27:18,354
He even covered it with wood decking.

520
00:27:18,854 --> 00:27:22,454
Three months after that, the second
official visit happened with the

521
00:27:22,454 --> 00:27:26,654
conservation board and the issue of
consent was raised for the platform.

522
00:27:27,154 --> 00:27:30,874
This meeting was between Bruce
Watson regional conservator.

523
00:27:31,374 --> 00:27:35,004
Kevin Wilde, Craig Burdoch
and a chairman of the board.

524
00:27:35,504 --> 00:27:38,744
When Bruce heard that there wasn't
a building consent for the platform.

525
00:27:38,774 --> 00:27:40,634
He was very unhappy with it.

526
00:27:40,964 --> 00:27:44,024
And he then asked Kevin and credit
to get the necessary consent

527
00:27:44,024 --> 00:27:45,824
done and follow up with it.

528
00:27:46,324 --> 00:27:49,744
At first, they were doing that,
but when they were unable to

529
00:27:49,744 --> 00:27:53,734
get the necessary consents, they
just filed the application away.

530
00:27:54,234 --> 00:27:58,734
And January of 1995, a warning
sign was ordered for the platform

531
00:27:58,824 --> 00:28:00,204
for a maximum person limit.

532
00:28:00,704 --> 00:28:04,184
The employee who ordered that sign
was on vacation when it came in.

533
00:28:04,514 --> 00:28:07,064
So the sign was just
put away and forgotten.

534
00:28:07,564 --> 00:28:10,984
The maximum capacity for the
platform was five people.

535
00:28:11,484 --> 00:28:14,364
And a later experiment was
show the platform collapsing

536
00:28:14,364 --> 00:28:15,924
with only 10 people on it.

537
00:28:16,424 --> 00:28:18,554
So let's count up the mistakes.

538
00:28:19,054 --> 00:28:21,094
One, there was no building consent.

539
00:28:21,624 --> 00:28:24,654
Two the designer wasn't
qualified for the job.

540
00:28:25,154 --> 00:28:25,694
Three.

541
00:28:25,904 --> 00:28:27,134
It was a faulty design.

542
00:28:27,634 --> 00:28:29,584
For, they didn't use steel.

543
00:28:30,084 --> 00:28:32,814
Five, they didn't use the design plans.

544
00:28:33,314 --> 00:28:34,034
Six.

545
00:28:34,334 --> 00:28:36,914
Was the designer was left out
of the construction group.

546
00:28:37,414 --> 00:28:40,834
Seven, the bearings reportedly
nailed to the piles.

547
00:28:41,334 --> 00:28:45,204
Eight, the platform was never
attached to the counterweight.

548
00:28:45,704 --> 00:28:46,484
And nine.

549
00:28:46,724 --> 00:28:49,064
The maximum capacity sign was lost.

550
00:28:49,564 --> 00:28:52,774
And there are more, I could get
really nitty gritty with it, but.

551
00:28:53,274 --> 00:28:53,964
I digress.

552
00:28:54,464 --> 00:28:57,914
After that all of the parents were
certain that something would be done.

553
00:28:58,334 --> 00:29:02,684
Someone would be held responsible because
you don't get to be that disorganized.

554
00:29:03,074 --> 00:29:07,064
To have a government organization
so poorly functioning and

555
00:29:07,064 --> 00:29:08,774
no one be held responsible.

556
00:29:09,274 --> 00:29:09,694
But.

557
00:29:10,194 --> 00:29:11,664
That's exactly what happened.

558
00:29:12,164 --> 00:29:15,584
According to judge noble who
sided with the docx argument.

559
00:29:15,974 --> 00:29:19,364
That it was a systemic failure
on behalf of the organization.

560
00:29:19,784 --> 00:29:23,054
So he couldn't point the blame
at any single individual.

561
00:29:23,554 --> 00:29:24,574
No one was fired.

562
00:29:25,074 --> 00:29:26,154
No one was find.

563
00:29:26,654 --> 00:29:28,124
No one went to jail.

564
00:29:28,624 --> 00:29:32,224
People were telling the parents, you
know, shouldn't you just try to make

565
00:29:32,224 --> 00:29:33,844
sure that this doesn't happen again.

566
00:29:34,234 --> 00:29:36,454
But the parents of the
victims were feeling that it

567
00:29:36,454 --> 00:29:37,984
shouldn't have happened at all.

568
00:29:38,374 --> 00:29:39,784
And they wanted accountability.

569
00:29:40,284 --> 00:29:43,674
They tried to see if they could go
after the officials themselves, but

570
00:29:43,704 --> 00:29:46,854
there were rules in the government that
prevented that from being possible.

571
00:29:47,354 --> 00:29:50,624
The police were the only other
people who could've gone after the

572
00:29:50,624 --> 00:29:54,164
individuals, they felt were responsible
for the deaths in cave Creek.

573
00:29:54,664 --> 00:29:57,994
And the lead investigator himself
was actually surprised that

574
00:29:57,994 --> 00:29:59,374
the people weren't prosecuted.

575
00:29:59,874 --> 00:30:03,204
But as it turns out, the solicitor
general would have had to make the

576
00:30:03,234 --> 00:30:05,004
ultimate decision on that case.

577
00:30:05,504 --> 00:30:07,274
And he decided not to pursue it.

578
00:30:07,774 --> 00:30:10,924
Possibly because of how high into the
government the investigation would go.

579
00:30:11,424 --> 00:30:14,034
Now, this did shock me,
but this is New Zealand.

580
00:30:14,064 --> 00:30:16,734
So I'm not sure how the
justice system works there.

581
00:30:17,234 --> 00:30:21,224
But here in America, they go
after everybody for everything.

582
00:30:21,284 --> 00:30:25,004
I mean, even the presidents are
not safe from being prosecuted.

583
00:30:25,504 --> 00:30:29,674
But the only person who resigned
in a meaningful way at a meaningful

584
00:30:29,674 --> 00:30:33,964
time was Bruce Watson, the original
conservator who told them to get

585
00:30:33,964 --> 00:30:35,614
the platform properly certified.

586
00:30:36,114 --> 00:30:38,394
The parents felt he shouldn't
have had to do that.

587
00:30:38,754 --> 00:30:41,484
Because he was the only one
who did his job, honestly.

588
00:30:41,984 --> 00:30:45,584
A year after the tragedy, the
minister of conservation would resign.

589
00:30:45,974 --> 00:30:49,184
But he still remained as a
full member of the cabinet.

590
00:30:49,684 --> 00:30:52,504
And 1997, bill Mansfield would resign.

591
00:30:53,004 --> 00:30:54,474
He was the head of the doc.

592
00:30:54,974 --> 00:30:58,244
He originally said he wouldn't
resign in the beginning because he

593
00:30:58,244 --> 00:31:01,514
wanted to see through the changes to
make sure this didn't happen again.

594
00:31:02,014 --> 00:31:05,824
But it's speculated that he
was eventually pushed out, even

595
00:31:05,824 --> 00:31:07,204
though he denied those claims.

596
00:31:07,704 --> 00:31:11,244
Decades after the disaster, the
department of conservation claims

597
00:31:11,244 --> 00:31:13,104
that it restructured its organization.

598
00:31:13,604 --> 00:31:15,164
They have more people in the field.

599
00:31:15,464 --> 00:31:18,074
There are clear lines of
leadership and accountability.

600
00:31:18,574 --> 00:31:22,144
And it's not a question that if a
similar accident happened again,

601
00:31:22,644 --> 00:31:26,574
The head of the organization and
potentially anyone else responsible.

602
00:31:27,074 --> 00:31:29,294
Are required to hand in their resignation.

603
00:31:29,794 --> 00:31:33,604
They make it a point to make it
known that since that accident.

604
00:31:33,964 --> 00:31:36,004
They thoroughly trained their officers.

605
00:31:36,004 --> 00:31:37,024
And safety.

606
00:31:37,024 --> 00:31:38,164
And procedures.

607
00:31:38,664 --> 00:31:41,604
And that they go through
training regularly, revisiting

608
00:31:41,634 --> 00:31:43,314
what went wrong in cave Creek.

609
00:31:43,814 --> 00:31:47,114
Cave Creek is now a Memorial,
but the parents have different

610
00:31:47,114 --> 00:31:48,674
ways of honoring their kids.

611
00:31:49,174 --> 00:31:53,224
The parents of one victim took a
stone from block farm by cave Creek

612
00:31:53,314 --> 00:31:56,464
and put a plaque on it that sits
by the pond on their property.

613
00:31:56,714 --> 00:31:58,424
That their child loved to catch trucks.

614
00:31:58,454 --> 00:32:03,814
And as a kid, One father went to a son's
grave every day for a long time and

615
00:32:03,814 --> 00:32:05,584
would write poetry and read it to him.

616
00:32:06,084 --> 00:32:07,734
Some parents say they cry.

617
00:32:07,794 --> 00:32:09,594
What feels like all day?

618
00:32:09,924 --> 00:32:11,814
And some managed to barely cope.

619
00:32:12,314 --> 00:32:16,544
The parents of one victim said, they feel
like they've been given a life sentence.

620
00:32:17,044 --> 00:32:20,134
And one mother says she leaned
heavily into her religion.

621
00:32:20,634 --> 00:32:26,094
One father goes through the inquiry
over and over again and says he probably

622
00:32:26,094 --> 00:32:29,604
wouldn't ever be able to move on
unless there was true accountability.

623
00:32:30,104 --> 00:32:34,304
Within three years following the disaster,
most of the people involved with the

624
00:32:34,304 --> 00:32:36,794
platform moved on from the organization.

625
00:32:37,294 --> 00:32:38,854
The victims of cave Creek.

626
00:32:39,354 --> 00:32:40,524
Where Catherine McCarthy.

627
00:32:41,024 --> 00:32:42,074
Abraham lawnmower.

628
00:32:42,574 --> 00:32:43,354
DeAnn Reed.

629
00:32:43,854 --> 00:32:44,724
Paul Chisholm.

630
00:32:45,224 --> 00:32:46,124
Scott Murray.

631
00:32:46,624 --> 00:32:47,644
Alison Blackmon.

632
00:32:48,144 --> 00:32:49,134
Anne-Marie Cook.

633
00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:50,684
Jody Davis.

634
00:32:51,184 --> 00:32:51,874
Peter Shaw.

635
00:32:52,374 --> 00:32:53,274
Barry Hopson.

636
00:32:53,774 --> 00:32:54,584
Matthew Reed.

637
00:32:55,084 --> 00:32:55,694
Kit pawsy.

638
00:32:55,694 --> 00:32:57,384
Eva n Stewart.

639
00:32:57,884 --> 00:33:00,794
And doc Poona KCI field center manager.

640
00:33:01,214 --> 00:33:02,014
Steven O'Dea.

641
00:33:02,404 --> 00:33:05,044
What do you think about the
fallout from this tragedy?

642
00:33:05,544 --> 00:33:08,544
Leave your opinions in the
reviews or comments, and don't

643
00:33:08,544 --> 00:33:10,104
forget to follow or subscribe.

644
00:33:10,604 --> 00:33:13,844
All sources can be
found@occurrencepod.com.

645
00:33:14,344 --> 00:33:15,034
Stay safe.

646
00:33:15,534 --> 00:33:16,434
And see you next week.