Jeff Donaldson, an experienced jet-boat driver and former president of the New Zealand Jetboating Association (NZJBA), was behind the wheel last year when a Boxing Day boating trip went horribly wrong.
English doctor Paul Woods (29), a general surgeon at Dunedin Hospital, was killed when the jet-boat Mr Donaldson was driving flipped after it hit a gravel bank in the river.
Three other people were in the boat and Dr Woods' partner Dr Leanne Tonney was injured in the crash.
Mr Donaldson was going to be race controller for the Otago branch of the NZJBA's annual Central Rivers Race - a role he has performed for the past decade.
The race starts on the Matukituki River on Saturday morning.
Mr Donaldson told the Otago Daily Times yesterday he had voluntarily withdrawn from the role because of the ongoing investigation into the Boxing Day accident.
"Things are still too raw," he said. " I don't personally feel comfortable sitting in that [race control] role on that river."
Mr Donaldson declined to discuss any details about the accident until after the Maritime NZ investigation was completed.
"There are things to be learned from what happened. Positive things, and not negatives, about what can be improved," he said.
Mr Donaldson has many years of experience organising jet-boat events.
He has fulfilled race control roles for the NZJBA on numerous occasions, including at the country's premier event, the New Zealand Jetboat Marathon.
Maritime NZ spokesman Ross Henderson said the investigation was not expected to be completed "for at least another month".
The Central Rivers Race will be held on the Matukituki and (Upper) Clutha Rivers on Saturday.
Competitors will head to Glenorchy to race two legs on the Dart River on Sunday.
The rivers would remain open to recreational jet-boats during the race, Queenstown Lakes harbourmaster Marty Black said.
However, commercial operators on Lake Wakatipu would briefly cease operations during a mass start from Queenstown Bay for the final leg of the race, which would take place around the Frankton Arm on Sunday afternoon, Mr Black said.
