A 100-page report on the Eastern Cape-based Stormsriver Adventures black-water tubing tragedy - in which 13 people died in March this year - has been completed by the South African River Runners Association (SARA) and will be forwarded to the operator this week. reports Graeme Addison, spokesperson and founder member of SARA.
This comes shortly after a low-key memorial service was held at the site of the tragedy over the weekend - initiated by Stormsriver Adventures - during which family and friends of the deceased unveiled a plaque with a list of the victims' names and the date of the tragedy.
Addison said he was unable to release the findings of the report until Stormsriver Adventures had had the opportunity to peruse it, although he didn't rule out the fact that they "may want to take legal steps to prevent the findings from being released publicly".
Stormsriver Adventures' owner - the first river adventure operator to be accepted as a Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) member - Ashley Wentworth, told Travel Now that the company would never attempt to withhold findings, provided that the report was "factual, accurate and well-researched".
He said he could not comment on the report as he had not yet received it and would not like to speculate on its contents "out of respect for the families of the victims".
Earlier in the month, Travel Now approached Addison for comments on the report after a regional daily newspaper alleged that the report contained "damning evidence" against the adventure operator.
The newspaper report claimed that the SARA report contained evidence that, based on rainfall figures, "the company should have been aware that flash floods could occur and that this would pose a real danger to people on the river".
Addison indicated - in a subsequent letter sent to the same newspaper -that these reports were not substantiated and at the time of publication - May 6, 2000 - the report had not been concluded and no "criticism or recommendations had been finalised".
"Issues confronting the inquiry panel - such as rainfall prior to the day and the degree of care exercised by the operator and guides - remained questions rather than fact," he added, further stating that the report was "unavoidably speculative" since it was not based on fact.
Wentworth said it was unfortunate that "unsubstantiated information" had been leaked to the press but said his company had adopted the policy of not responding to second-hand reports in the media.
"We have been widely praised for taking the high-ground on this and not getting involved in a pointless mud-slinging match."
He did say that he would like to set the record straight by saying it was Stormsriver Adventures who had called on SARA to investigate and not the other way around as had been widely reported.
Wentworth further stated that Stormsriver Adventures had assisted SARA in writing the accepted safety standards with regard to adventure tourism - a fact verified by Gail McCann, chief executive officer of SATSA.
She also stated that according to all documentation reviewed by SATSA, the association has concluded that the company "acted in compliance with the safety regulations set by SARA and that it could therefore not be found negligent."
After receiving a clean bill of health from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), the company resumed its operations on the Storms River after a two-week waiting period, again out of respect for the families and friends of the victims, said Wentworth
"Since the incident, the DWAF has been monitoring us very closely."
(Adele Mackenzie)
