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.