Queenstown woman injurecd in festival event

Media statement from the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival
30 June 2010

A 24-year-old Queenstown resident is undergoing surgery following an incident at the winter festival Birdman competition on Sunday June 27.

The woman was a member of a group entry into the competition, in which competitors jump from a jetty in Queenstown Bay into Lake Wakatipu.

She was injured when another member of her team ‘clipped’ her head and shoulder as they jumped into the water alongside her.

After initially complaining of a sore shoulder and being aided to shore by water safety officials, a member of the winter festival team took her to St John and from there she was referred to the Queenstown Medical Centre where a doctor prescribed pain medication.

She returned to the medical centre the following day still complaining of a sore shoulder, at which stage an X-ray revealed a C7 vertebrae fracture that was diagnosed as ‘stable’. Further investigations revealed the need for remedial surgery which is not expected to result in any long term complications.

Festival director Simon Green said he had spoken to the woman today (June 30) and said she was in “good spirits”.

“Obviously we take this matter extremely seriously,” he said. “For all events we have a very robust safety plan in place, as part of which all competitors are given a full safety briefing.”

Winter Festival Health and Safety Officer Wayne Allen, who was in a water safety boat at the time of the incident, confirmed that all entrants had been given a full briefing about how to ask for assistance, how and where to jump, to look before they jumped and not to jump on others already in the water.

“I then took aside three groups of more than five competitors, of which this was one, and drew them a map of the platform and talked about which team members were to jump where. We were very clear about the need to look before they jumped.

“I saw her team mate jump in and clip her head and shoulder so went straight to her aid. She said her head was fine but she had a sore shoulder so we motored her slowly to shore.”

Mr Allen said the incident would be fully investigated by Winter Festival but did not believe any external investigation was required at this stage.

“If further investigation is required, then of course we will co-operate fully.”

Mr Green said he wished the girl a speedy recovery and would be monitoring her progress. She has said she does not want to be identified.

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