16 Dec 2012

Drowned man ignored warnings

12:19 pm on 16 December 2012

A coroner has found that a man who drowned in the Maruia Falls, near Nelson, ignored safety barriers.

The coroner heard that Ian Randall was travelling to Nelson with friends for a Rugby World Cup game when they stopped for a closer look at the falls.

Mr Randall ran to the falls and slipped, but found a rock to cling to. A colleague held his arm but the force of the water dragged him down the 11-metre falls.

An autopsy found Mr Randall drowned, but also had serious head injuries.

The coroner did not find any fault with the Department of Conservation, which had erected safety barriers and warning signs.