Teacher Testifies In Fatal Cave Drowning Inquest

Coroner Alexander Ho opened an inquest into the Abbey Caves tragedy that occurred in May 2023. Patera had dropped Kannon off at school on the morning of the incident. The inquest follows reports of bad weather and orange-heavy rain warnings in Whangarei during the event. A coroner's inquiry into the death of Kanin Petra in Abbey caves began today. Alicia Toke, the mother of a teenage boy who died during a school caving trip three years ago, is attending the proceedings. Toke stated she hopes the inquiry will result in real change. The family of the deceased expressed a desire for clear findings to prevent similar incidents involving school trips or organizers. The inquiry aims to provide lessons for the Ministry of Education and other schools. A teacher provided evidence during an inquest into the drowning of 15-year-old Kanan Petera. The student, from Fangare Boys High, died in a flash flood inside a cave three years ago. The teacher testified that water levels rose from waist deep to neck deep within seconds during the incident. He stated he attempted to push students to safety while submerged in a raging torrent.