River death firm must pay £61,100

Law graduate Emily Jordan, aged 21, of Trimpley, near Bewdley, was riding a body board on fast-flowing rapids when she became trapped in the Kawarau River Gorge on New Zealand's South Island in April last year.

Black Sheep Adventures Ltd, which trades as Mad Dog River Boarding, admitted two charges of failing to ensure the safety of customers and has today been fined 66,000 New Zealand dollars – the equivalent of £27,600. The firm was also ordered to pay Miss Jordan's family £33,500.

The ruling follows a court case that began in Queenstown District Court last week as Black Sheep and director Brad McLeod both denied three charges each of failing to ensure the safety of their customers. Yesterday, all charges against Mr McLeod and one against Black Sheep Adventures were dropped as the firm admitted the remaining two. The firm was sentenced today before the same court.

Earlier, the court heard that Mad Dog River Boarding guides did not carry ropes and that the firm's safety operation plan fell short of industry standards. Miss Jordan was trapped under water by rocks for about 20 minutes until a boat belonging to another tour firm arrived with safety ropes to free her. She was halfway through a back-packing trip with boyfriend Jonathan Armour when tragedy struck. He watched the horror unfold from the riverbank.

Miss Jordan's father Christopher has been in court throughout the proceedings and has said that he hopes that the case will lead to changes being made in the way river boarding and other extreme sports companies are run.

Miss Jordan's mother Sarah, who remained at the family home in Trimpley during the trial, said: "The trial has been extremely traumatic for Christopher as he has had to sit through details of Emily's death and the events leading up to it.

"The saddest thing is that she should never have died. She should not even have been in the water that day. Emily was a confident swimmer and a fun-loving girl but she was not made aware of the dangers and as a result, we have to live with the terrible consequences."

Since Miss Jordan's death, her family has set up a charity called The Emily Jordan Foundation, which raises money for those with disabilities.