There has been no decision on whether a coronial inquest will be held into the death of English tourist Emily Jordan who drowned while on a commercial river-boarding trip in the Kawarau River last year.
Southern region coroner David Crerar told the Otago Daily Times yesterday it was too soon after the hearing between Maritime New Zealand and Black Sheep Adventures Ltd to make a decision.
Having admitted two Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 charges on Monday, the company, which trades as Mad Dog River Boarding, was sentenced in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.
Mr Crerar said he would read Judge Brian Callaghan's sentencing notice, talk to the police and Maritime New Zealand and also to Ms Jordan's father Chris Jordan again. While usually after successful prosecutions there was no inquest, he said he would take "all matters into account".
Mr Jordan has stated he wants an inquest in New Zealand and has expressed frustration at differences between the system in Britain, where an inquest could be held before a prosecution hearing.
Mr Crerar said he could not comment on the differences Mr Jordan was concerned about, but said the British and New Zealand systems "are not so different as some would have you believe".
