A news article on the jetboat crash

This is from the TV3 website. I'm pasting it here too in case they take the page down. There's also some video on the site but I don't know how to paste it in here so you'll have to go there yourselves if you haven't already seen it.

Five people have been treated in Christchurch Hospital after a jet boating accident near Hanmer Springs. Six other passengers and the driver were also injured when the jet boat ran aground near the end of the tourist ride at around midday.

The accident happened on the Waiau River in the Thrillseekers Canyon, just south of Hanmer Springs. While the boat was largely undamaged, the passengers and staff on board were all injured. However, the 12 passengers were saved from more serious injury. Constable John Eagle: “The driver
managed to control the jet boat, all credit to him, he kept it upright so nobody was trapped or in danger at any point.”
Most were able to walk to dry land where they were assessed by local ambulance staff.

The fire crews and local ambulance and doctor were doing and excellent job in extracting the patients - they managed to get everyone out of the boat in a timely fashion. Two rescue
helicopters airlifted five patients to Christchurch hospital, some with minor leg injuries and shortness of breath, while two others suffered moderate and serious back and neck injuries.
The Hanmer Springs Thrillseekers Company is running an internal investigation into the grounding which is the first blemish on the company's safety record since 1985.

However, the tourism company has received praise from police for the manner in which they dealt with the situation.
Constable John Eagle: “I can't credit them enough; they had
everything under control when we got here. They have good radio communications and they know the river better than anybody else, they did a fantastic job.”
The company's owner told 3 News: "We put our emergency
protocol in place. When an incident involves people and water, in the canyon we throw everything at it. People come first."
The incident is being investigated by Maritime Safety Authority - they will determine if the incident is the result of driver error or a mechanical fault.