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Te Anau Milford Highway crash

MEDIA STATEMENT
Friday 24 March 2017
From Explorer Tourlines Ltd
Te Anau Milford Highway crash, Tuesday 21 March 2017
Presented at Press Conference held today 2pm at Rydges Latimer Christchurch
Thank you all for joining us this afternoon on short notice.
My name is David Lynch from Momentus Public Relations, and I have been assisting Stephen Cook, the owner of Explorer Tourlines Ltd, following Tuesday’s Te Anau Milford Highway crash that sadly claimed the lives of two people in a rental car.
Mr. Cook will be making a short statement concerning the events of Tuesdays’ tragedy, which as you are aware, involved 16 Korean passengers on one his company’s coaches.
Following Mr. Cook’s statement, he will take questions. Please recognize, however, that there is an ongoing police investigation into this accident and he will not be able to comment in any way that compromises the police investigation.
With that, I will ask Stephen Cook to provide his statement to you.
************************************************************************************************
Good afternoon, as David has mentioned, I own Explorer Tourlines Ltd
Firstly, I would like to say on behalf of all the employees of Explorer Tourlines how deeply we feel about the pain and suffering of the people involved in this accident, and their families and friends. All of our thoughts and prayers are with these people and in particular, for the two that died so tragically in the rental car.
I also wish to acknowledge the efforts of members of the public that were first on the scene, the police and St John from Te Anau, the fire crews from Te Anau and Lumsden and Victim Support.
I also thank the many people that assisted the 16 Korean passengers following the accident and their subsequent departure from New Zealand.
I would specially acknowledge the efforts of the driver, during and after the accident, and those of the Korean guide (translator).
Explorer Tourlines is a locally based company operating throughout the South Island of New Zealand. We have been involved in passenger transport for over twenty years and in that time travelled millions of kilometres, without being involved in a serious accident. Our highest priority has always been the safety and well-being of our passengers.
Firstly I am just so grateful that no passengers were seriously injured and that the driver and guide also were also relatively unharmed and were able to take good care of the group. However, I am horrified that two people in the rental car died in the accident and like many others, trying to make sense of the tragedy.
On hearing of the accident I immediately travelled to Queenstown to meet with our 16 Korean passengers, driver and guide to personally ensure the appropriate support was in place.
On Wednesday afternoon all of the 16 passengers left by plan for Auckland and have subsequently left New Zealand.
I then travelled to Te Anau to meet with the police, St John and medical centre staff. With the police I visited the accident scene, which helped me understand what happened.
I am most grateful and appreciative of the efforts of those that attended the scene of the accident and those that provided follow up care.
Right from the start we have, and will continue to cooperate fully with the police investigations.
At this stage while we are coming to terms with the accident we are ensuring that our driver is fully supported. He is currently on special leave and we look forward to his return when it is considered appropriate.
In view of the circumstances we request the all media respect the privacy of our driver.
I would like to acknowledge the driver’s efforts in ensuring the bus stayed upright and that he immediately got all the passengers off the bus quickly.
After the driver ascertained that members of the public were attending the occupants of the car, he continued to support his passengers aided by members of the public.
In conclusion, this is a tragic accident and I feel terrible sadness for the families of those travelling in the car and we are mindful of any affects the accident will have had on the 16 Korean passengers.
As the owner of the company, I am deeply appreciative of the efforts of the driver and guide, members of the public first on the scene, and all the emergency services and police.
In view of the fact that the accident is now the subject of serval investigations, I will be refraining from making any further comment after this press conference.

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