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RNZ News
7 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Family wants answers after daughter's death on Mt Ruapehu
Wednesday Davis, as pictured on her Instagram on her 26th birthday. Photo: Supplied She knew the ocean better than most, but the mountains were unfamiliar territory. After 26-year-old marine biologist Wednesday Davis died on Mt Ruapehu last year, family and friends say they endured months without an explanation. A year on, they're still desperate to find out how she ended up climbing in dangerous conditions she was not prepared for. Katie Todd reports. Wednesday Davis was a fastidious planner. She was always up for trying something new - but did her research first, according to family and close friends. Her father Paul Davis and stepmother Sarah Hall said she filled boxes with certificates, scrupulously labelled with yellow Post-it notes. "She'd done the coastguard course to drive the boat. The four-wheel-drive courses to drive the four-wheel-drive. Health and safety courses for when she'd take school groups to [her former workplace] Experience Marine Reserves," Davis said. "She'd always prepare. She was always prepared. Her diving logbook is meticulously filled out with her hours in the water, her oxygen levels," Hall said. The final photo of Wednesday Davis and her father Paul Davis, along with her half-sister Neave. Photo: Supplied / Sarah Hall So a year ago, they did not have any reason to worry when Wednesday Davis told them about her Matariki weekend plans - a group trip up Mt Ruapehu. The adventure was a way to celebrate a few collective birthdays among a group of extended friends ranging from skilled mountaineers to alpine novices. She was in the latter category, having barely ventured into the mountains, her father said. The group planned to stay at a lodge on Tukino Skifield, have a few drinks and explore the nearby terrain. On the first clear, still night, his daughter sent him a Facebook message with a photo of a group walking in the winter light. Then came a shot of her feet in crampons, with the caption: "First time in crampons #didntfalloffthemountain". It was the last message she sent her father, before she died the following day. Wednesday Davis, as pictured on her Instagram, graduating from Auckland University with an Master of Science with first class honours in marine science. Photo: Supplied Davis and Hall - who live in the Central Otago town of Alexandra - were summoned to Taupō to identify her body. In the hours that followed, they knew only she had fallen to her death and assumed officials would fill in the rest. "Tragedy creates so much chaos at the start," Hall said. "We had to go up north, organise flights, get bags packed - so you're not thinking about what's happening. You kind of assume that everyone's doing their job in the background." Sarah Hall and Paul Davis Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd The pair were deeply moved when local iwi Ngāti Tūwharetoa watched over Wednesday's body the first night she was brought off the mountain. It was also iwi members who gave the first hint of what might have gone wrong. "They said the mountain that day was blue," Davis recalled. "They hadn't seen it like that for a while. It's a bad sign when it's blue - basically, solid ice. Even the experts would struggle." In the days that followed, he began trying to piece together his daughter's final moments. Using location data from photos on her phone and flight tracking records linked to the rescue helicopter, he narrowed down an area where he believed she likely fell on the mountain - near Whangaehu Hut, the highest alpine hut in New Zealand. The Department of Conservation website described the access route as off track, challenging, exposed and "only suitable for expert, well-equipped hikers with alpine experience". Hall said they began scouring online footage of the trail. "Watching the YouTube footage, you're thinking, 'oh my God'," she said. "This is pretty advanced. It's steep and, in winter, it's icy up there. This isn't the 42 Traverse. This isn't the Tongariro Crossing. This is something quite extreme." Davis said a photo on his daughter's phone taken the morning of the accident suggested members of the group were not wearing many layers or carrying much gear. The more they saw, the more questions they had, Hall said. "I just don't understand why a novice was on the mountain that day," she said. Whangaehu Hut, as pictured on Google Earth Photo: Supplied Months passed and there was still no official explanation as to how Wednesday Davis had died, beyond what Davis and Hall had come to understand themselves. The couple began reaching out to anyone they could - police contacts, her friends, experienced mountaineers and others on social media to try to learn more about the hours leading up to the accident. Hall and Davis said Wednesday's boyfriend Guy Pryor was on the trip, but they still do not know exactly who else was. He would not speak to them about what happened and declined to comment to RNZ out of respect for the coronial investigation. "Through social media and two degrees of separation in New Zealand we found out [the group] weren't actually well known to each other," Davis said. Wednesday Davis. Photo: Supplied / Sarah Hall "This was an advanced walk... what were they doing out there with other strangers?" Hall said they discovered there was a police report into the death, but it was sealed at the coroner's office. "I remember thinking 'we're not privy to that information? It's still going to wait?' It was quite a frustrating process," she said. Finally, seven months after losing his daughter, Davis received a copy of the confidential report which made for a confronting read. It was filled with detailed information about the emergency service response and witness interviews from other people on the mountain, as well as maps, diagrams and descriptions, all of which would feed into an eventual coroner's report. Hall and Davis finally learnt how the accident played out and the technicality of emergency response. It was followed more recently by another also confidential Mountain Safety Council report. In a written response to RNZ, council chief executive Mike Daisley explained its reports do not generally offer any new evidence. "With our expert knowledge of outdoor safety, we are typically asked by coroners to provide an independent report as part of their investigation into a fatality," he said. "Our intent is to support the coronial process with an independent and expert analysis of the evidence, which is provided to us by the coroner." Hall said the official findings only led to more questions. Davis said they still did not know exactly who else was on the trip beside his daughter and Pryor, or why the group set out in icy winter weather. Meanwhile, a GoPro they believed Wednesday was wearing when she fell - which could have held answers - had never been recovered. "The last page of the police report said it was an accident. There would be no further investigation [beyond the coroner's investigation]. I almost didn't want to read it," he said. "I thought there was still mystery. So many things that we wanted to know," Hall said. "I'd like to know why did they wake up that morning and go 'right, let's go to this random hut'. What made them think to go up there?" Wednesday Davis's family's last hope for more answers lies in the coronial process. Hall said if the accident had not happened on a private trip on a mountain there might have been more opportunities for inquiry. "If it was a paid trip, WorkSafe would have come in. If it happened on a road, it's an NZTA issue. If it happened paragliding, it's the Civil Aviation Authority," Davis said. "If it happened on a river, or a boat, it's maritime law, but mountain law - there is no law, in a social situation. There's a huge, vast, legal canyon," Hall added. Whangaehu Hut, as pictured on Google Earth. Photo: Supplied University of Otago law expert Associate Professor Simon Connell said there was extremely limited scope for inquiry when someone died during a private recreational trip on public land because they were covered by the ACC scheme that ruled out claims for fault. The coronial process was forward-looking, aimed at learning lessons, he said. "It's about trying to understand what happened and part of that is identifying which things perhaps could have been done differently to prevent something like that happening again," Connell said. "It can be dissatisfying for someone wanting a finding of fault, but it does seriously consider whether a death could have been avoided and how to reduce the risk in future." Hall said it was frustrating not knowing if the coroner's report was months or even years away. "Maybe more answers will come, but I would like to say that if anyone was on the mountain that day and they would like to reach out to any of the family members, they are more than welcome to do so," she said. A Coroner's Court spokesperson said every death was different and the scope of the investigation depended on the evidence. "Inquiries can vary in length and take up to several years where a full inquiry is required," they said in a statement. "The time it takes depends on the complexity of how the person died, the evidence the coroner needs to gather and whether the coroner is waiting for a prosecution or any other investigation to finish. We endeavour to provide families and whānau with updates on the inquiry into their loved one's death as they become available, and information from case files when it is requested and is appropriate to do so. Our sincere condolences are with Wednesday's family." Wednesday Davis's loved ones said her death was "an almighty loss". One year on, they were remembering not only a talented marine biologist, ocean advocate, science communicator and marine educator but also a loved daughter and friend. Wednesday - known to her family as Clem - had a unique ability to speak to anyone, Davis said. "Our youngest, she's a quiet, introverted kid and Clem could just pull her out of her shell and get her talking," he said. As well as her work advocating for marine mammals, she quietly championed women's rights and equality in a way that could open your eyes, he said. "She kind of walked the talk in a way. She was just a really inclusive person," Davis said. Wednesday Davis, as pictured on her Instagram in her happy place. Photo: Supplied Sacha Baillie worked at Auckland Zoo when Davis worked at Kelly Tarlton's and recalled how the two would send each other little animal and marine earrings. "She had a magnetic personality. She was just so much, all of the time, in such a cool way," she said. Davis was also one of the most stubborn people she had ever met, Baillie said. "She would always be helping someone with something or volunteering. We would kind of encourage her to take a moment for herself and she'd go 'yes, yes, yes', and then she wouldn't do it - she'd be helping someone else, with something else," Baillie said. Keziah D'Souzah completed her master's thesis alongside Davis and said her friend brought light to the hardest moments of their studies. She fondly recalled her buying "horrendous" green V energy socks for all of her study group. "She was truly a voice for te moana and she cared so much, but she was also unhinged at times and so silly," D'Souzah said. "Much like the ocean, she had a lot of depths to her. It's a big loss to marine science but it's just a big loss to her family and friends in general." Davis's former university lab mate Lucy Kelly said her "voracious texting" filled her phone. Her many professional accomplishments had been publicised after her death but not her chronic back pain, queerness or ADHD, Kelly said. "Not everything came to her easily, which makes her professional life all the more impressive," she said. Their friendship could range from comparing notes on reality TV, to "deep, gnarly conversations," Kelly said. "I could just show up outside her house and say, 'let's go for a midnight Kmart trip or a bubble tea', or 'let's drive around in circles and have a deep, meaningful conversation'. I really miss that about her because I want to talk to her about her death and I can't." Hall said they had decided to speak about their experience not only to seek more answers but to highlight what felt like big gaps in the system for investigating mountain accidents. "There should be an inquiry pathway that can at least delve into the details and the wider situation of a fatality in a social setting," she said. The loss of a child was something no parent should have to endure, let alone without getting meaningful answers, Hall said. The couple felt left behind by agencies they hoped would have supported them. "At the start, everyone's so willing to help and you've got these cards, these business cards, 'look, if you've got any questions, ring us and we'll talk', but there's no one that actually gives you advice or guidance on where to from here. You're just waiting. That's all we do now is wait to hear anything," Hall said. "The communication is just non-existent. If you want information, you have to ask for it and you have to know what you're asking for and you have to know what the process is." Davis said the pair felt deeply for anyone else enduring a similar wait for answers. "Since Wednesday's accident, there's been so many other similar accidents - mountaineers, climbers, walking - it just brings it all back," he said. "We haven't got answers, and someone else's going through the same thing again." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Temperatures expected to rise as crews battle fire north of Lytton, B.C.
B.C. Wildfire Service crews made good progress over the weekend fighting an out-of-control wildfire north of Lytton, B.C., along Highway 12. The Izman Creek wildfire was accidentally sparked on Canada Day by a passing RCMP trailer, and it has resulted in three properties close to the highway receiving evacuation orders and nine other properties being put on evacuation alert. Lytton, which is in the Fraser Canyon area, is about 170 kilometres southwest of Kamloops. Crews say they expect temperatures to rise over the next few days, and an incoming cold front could create windy conditions in the Fraser Canyon area. The blaze was estimated to be around 245 hectares as of Sunday, with fire information officer Sarah Hall saying that new size came after more accurate assessments were done over the weekend. "The [increase] of size is not due to increased fire behaviour and fire growth — more so due to accurate mapping of our fire perimeter," she told CBC News. Hall said crews were seeing smouldering fire conditions over the weekend, with lighter winds allowing them to fight the fire head-on with the aid of helicopters. "But we are anticipating a cold front to come in on Tuesday," she said. "So that is bringing higher wind speeds, approximately 50 to 60 kilometre [per hour] gusts." Highway 12 is only open to local traffic between Lytton and Lilloeet, which is about 64 kilometres northwest, as a result of the blaze. Hall is urging caution for anyone driving through the area, as firefighting personnel are going to be visible. "On the western flank, which is where Highway 12 is, crews are maintaining their presence in that area to monitor the highway overnight as well as during the day," she said. Meanwhile, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District lifted an evacuation alert on Friday that had been in effect for properties threatened by the Mount Scatchard wildfire, west of the town of Chase, B.C., about 60 kilometres northeast of Kamloops. An evacuation order from the Neskonlith Indian Band for about 40 properties was downgraded to an alert last week for the Mount Scatchard blaze.
CBC
06-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Temperatures expected to rise as crews battle fire north of Lytton, B.C.
B.C. Wildfire Service crews made good progress over the weekend fighting an out-of-control wildfire north of Lytton, B.C., along Highway 12. The Izman Creek wildfire was accidentally sparked on Canada Day by a passing RCMP trailer, and it has resulted in three properties close to the highway receiving evacuation orders and nine other properties being put on evacuation alert. Lytton, which is in the Fraser Canyon area, is about 170 kilometres southwest of Kamloops. Crews say they expect temperatures to rise over the next few days, and an incoming cold front could create windy conditions in the Fraser Canyon area. The blaze was estimated to be around 245 hectares as of Sunday, with fire information officer Sarah Hall saying that new size came after more accurate assessments were done over the weekend. "The [increase] of size is not due to increased fire behaviour and fire growth — more so due to accurate mapping of our fire perimeter," she told CBC News. Hall said crews were seeing smouldering fire conditions over the weekend, with lighter winds allowing them to fight the fire head-on with the aid of helicopters. "But we are anticipating a cold front to come in on Tuesday," she said. "So that is bringing higher wind speeds, approximately 50 to 60 kilometre [per hour] gusts." Highway 12 is only open to local traffic between Lytton and Lilloeet, which is about 64 kilometres northwest, as a result of the blaze. Hall is urging caution for anyone driving through the area, as firefighting personnel are going to be visible. "On the western flank, which is where Highway 12 is, crews are maintaining their presence in that area to monitor the highway overnight as well as during the day," she said. Meanwhile, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District lifted an evacuation alert on Friday that had been in effect for properties threatened by the Mount Scatchard wildfire, west of the town of Chase, B.C., about 60 kilometres northeast of Kamloops.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Warrington: Town's MPs abstain from welfare bill vote
Two Labour MPs representing Cheshire's largest town said they chose to "neither support nor oppose" the government's welfare bill as they believed it could be Hall and Charlotte Nichols, who represent the two constituencies in Warrington, were previously among 120 Labour MPs who threatened to vote against it. The government offered a last-minute concession, saying it would not change personal independence payment (Pip) rules until the findings of a a joint statement, the Warrington MPs said they were "still not happy" with the bill but as there were "promises to address this properly" they had chosen to abstain from the vote. Ministers had already said people currently receiving Pip, the main disability benefit, would not be affected by the new rules, but the 11th hour pledge now also delays their introduction for future claimants pending a a joint statement, the Warrington MPs said changes meaning no existing claimants would lose Pip were "a step forward", but they said it was "still not enough".Hall and Nichols said there was now "an opportunity to amend and improve the bill" as it goes through the next stages, before its final added they wanted to see changes so 18-22 year olds "do not fall through the cracks as we fear they currently do".The government won the vote by 75 votes, although 49 Labour MPs still voted against the March, the government announced plans for a shake-up of the benefits system, including measures to limit eligibility for Pip and freeze the health-related element of universal promised a £1bn package of support to help disabled people and those with long-term conditions into said there had been a steep rise in claimants and the changes were needed to ensure the system remained sustainable. Hall and Nichols said there were "positive" elements of the bill around helping people into work, but the original details were "not acceptable to us".Mid Cheshire's Andrew Cooper and Connor Naismith from Crewe and Nantwich also signed the amendment last week. 'Dignified system' Cooper and Naismith both voted for the bill following the said: "I want to be absolutely clear, I did not vote for cuts. I did not vote to remove support."I voted to protect the gains we've secured so far, and to keep fighting for a benefits system that is fairer, more flexible, and rooted in dignity."Naismith said he had received "cast iron assurances from the top of government" that there would be no cut off of current support before a review of Pip eligibility was completed."These assurances had been hard fought for, and I am immensely proud of every colleague who has supported efforts to get here," he said. Hall and Nichols said: "Our loyalty will always be first and foremost to our constituents, and we are committed to getting the best legislation we can."There can be no decisions about disabled people without including disabled people, and we will fight for a supportive, dignified and sustainable welfare system."Cheshire Labour MPs Samantha Dixon, Justin Madders, Tim Roca and Sarah Russell voted for the bill, while Conservatives Aphra Brandreth and Esther McVey, and Reform's Sarah Pochin all voted against the bill, which will return to the House of Commons on 9 July. See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Father who murdered his 14-year-old daughter by stabbing her in the heart 'in play fight' will not have 15-year sentence increased, judges rule
A father who murdered his teenage daughter by stabbing her in the heart during a play-fight will not have his sentence increased, judges have ruled. Simon Vickers was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years in February for the murder of his 14-year-old daughter, Scarlett Vickers, at their home in Darlington on July 5 last year. The Solicitor General sought to refer the 50-year-old's sentence to the Court of Appeal, with their lawyers arguing at a hearing on Thursday that it was 'unduly lenient'. They believed that the sentence should be increased as it 'failed to adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the offending'. Barristers for Vickers opposed the bid, arguing the sentence should remain the same. In a ruling, three senior judges ruled that Vickers' sentence was not 'unduly lenient' and should not be increased, stating it is 'properly to be described as merciful, but it is none the worse for that'. Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, sitting with Mr Justice Goose and Mrs Justice Eady, said: 'This was a justifiable and humane resolution of a very difficult sentencing exercise.' In written submissions, Louise Oakley, for the Solicitor General, said that Scarlett and her mother, Sarah Hall, had been 'messing around throwing grapes at each other' in the kitchen of their home on July 5, which Vickers wanted them to stop. Ms Hall then pinched Vickers with some cooking tongs and caught his finger, leading him to complain he had been hurt. Scarlett then said 'Dad, don't be a wimp', the court was told, before Ms Hall turned to resume cooking. Ms Oakley said: 'Exactly what then happened only the offender knows. 'What is clear is that the offender must have picked up a kitchen knife and deliberately stabbed his daughter in the chest. 'The offender continues to deny this is what happened.' Ms Hall continues to stand by her husband throughout the tragic case, and giving evidence in his support during his ten-day trial. She insists Vickers would 'never harm' their daughter. Ms Hall made a 999 call and told the operator they had been 'messing about' and that her partner had thrown something at their daughter, and he 'didn't realise'. Vickers told a paramedic that his daughter had lunged towards him during a bout of play-fighting, but then denied saying this at his trial at Teesside Crown Court. He gave different accounts of what happened in the seconds before he stabbed a knife 11cm into Scarlett's lung and heart, with a jury convicting him of murder by a majority of 10-2 in January. The sentencing judge, Mr Justice Cotter, said the version of events that Vickers told the jury - that he had accidentally swiped the knife across the work surface and into his daughter's chest without realising - was 'unconvincing and wholly implausible'. The judge accepted that the defendant was 'devastated', that he was a 'broken man', and that there was no premeditation or intention to kill. He said: 'You have lost your only child at your own hand, and you will always live with that awful fact.' Vickers had drunk wine and smoked cannabis that night, but the judge said he was not sure that alcohol had contributed to the offence, which was a 'momentary but devastating act of anger'. Mr Justice Cotter said: 'It stole one young, precious life, ruined your life, your wife's life and Scarlett's relatives and friends.' Ms Oakley said in written submissions that Mr Justice Cotter was faced with 'an extremely difficult sentencing task' involving 'an unprecedented burst of anger by an otherwise caring parent'. But she continued that the judge should have given Vickers a longer sentence because he used a knife against a child in their own home, and because of a previous conviction for wounding with intent from 1993. She said: 'It is submitted that the level of mitigation available to the offender in this case for his lack of premeditation and the absence of an intention to kill should not be given as much weight as some other cases, given he deliberately picked up and used a knife for no reason whatsoever. 'Scarlett posed no threat to the offender.' Nicholas Lumley KC, for Vickers, did not make oral submissions during the hearing, but Lord Justice Stuart-Smith said that he had submitted in writing that Mr Justice Cotter 'came to a conclusion that was reasonably open to him'. Giving judgment, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith said that Vickers, Ms Hall and Scarlett were 'a happy family who doted on each other' and that their lives were changed 'catastrophically' by the killing. But he continued that Vickers' actions 'were completely out of character for the man he had become', and that there was 'substantial mitigation available'. He added that the 'quasi-mathematical' approach of the Solicitor General to the sentence was 'inapposite'. Vickers, who attended the hearing via video link from HMP Gartree in Leicestershire, showed no reaction as the ruling was handed down.
