Gumleaf
April 15th, 2008, 11:42 PM
Wednesday Apr 16 12:00 AEST
By ninemsn staff and agencies
The names of six students and a teacher who were swept to their deaths by a "rain bomb" while canyoning in New Zealand have been read out at their school's assembly.
The gathering today at Auckland's Elim College heard how their friends and colleagues were adventuring at Mangetepopo River near Turangi when they became caught in a flash flood late yesterday afternoon.
Elim principal Murray Burton delivered a prayer to the hundreds of students and staff who were there, before reading out the names of those who had lost their lives, the New Zealand Herald reported.
The audience gasped as he read down the list, with students passing around boxes of tissues.
"Ripples of shock and tears moved around the hall as the students heard the news of the deaths," a witness was quoted in The Herald as saying.
The names have been made public. They were students Natasha Bray, 16, Portia McPhail, 16, Huan (Tom) Hsu, 16, Anthony Mulder, 16, Floyd Fernandez, 16, Tara Gregory, 16, and teacher Anthony McLean, 29.
Mr Burton told the assembly, "I don't mind if you are angry, but just trust in Him."
The students were canyoning with an instructor from the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre when they were swept down the river with their teacher and five others.
The water volume swelled by 17.5 cubic metres in 30 minutes as violent storms caused widespread flooding across the island.
"I have seen that amount of water but I have never seen it come down at that speed," the head of the outdoor centre, Grant Davidson, said to The Herald.
Mr Davidson said the volume of water in the river rose massively from 0.5 cubic metres at 3pm to 18 cubic metres at 3.30pm.
"The outcome is tragic in this case. It seems to have been quite a rain bomb come through," he said.
By 4pm the water volume had fallen back to 0.5 cubic metres, the newspaper said.
Five bodies were retrieved from the river late last night, New Zealand police said. Two more bodies were found about 2.30am today. (Photos from the scene)
One of the five survivors was taken to hospital for treatment but the others were not badly hurt, police said.
The adventurers were part of a 40-strong group attending the week-long outdoor education course.
Earlier Mr Burton said the students were canyoning down a river near the centre when they became separated from the main party.
They did not show up to be collected along with other students at the end of the activity late yesterday afternoon.
"From what I understand they were well equipped for the journey with wetsuits, life jackets and harnesses," Mr Burton said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was shocked by the tragedy.
"My sincere condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives in the Mangatepopo River, the Elim Christian College school community, and staff from the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre," she was quoted in The Herald as saying.
By ninemsn staff and agencies
The names of six students and a teacher who were swept to their deaths by a "rain bomb" while canyoning in New Zealand have been read out at their school's assembly.
The gathering today at Auckland's Elim College heard how their friends and colleagues were adventuring at Mangetepopo River near Turangi when they became caught in a flash flood late yesterday afternoon.
Elim principal Murray Burton delivered a prayer to the hundreds of students and staff who were there, before reading out the names of those who had lost their lives, the New Zealand Herald reported.
The audience gasped as he read down the list, with students passing around boxes of tissues.
"Ripples of shock and tears moved around the hall as the students heard the news of the deaths," a witness was quoted in The Herald as saying.
The names have been made public. They were students Natasha Bray, 16, Portia McPhail, 16, Huan (Tom) Hsu, 16, Anthony Mulder, 16, Floyd Fernandez, 16, Tara Gregory, 16, and teacher Anthony McLean, 29.
Mr Burton told the assembly, "I don't mind if you are angry, but just trust in Him."
The students were canyoning with an instructor from the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre when they were swept down the river with their teacher and five others.
The water volume swelled by 17.5 cubic metres in 30 minutes as violent storms caused widespread flooding across the island.
"I have seen that amount of water but I have never seen it come down at that speed," the head of the outdoor centre, Grant Davidson, said to The Herald.
Mr Davidson said the volume of water in the river rose massively from 0.5 cubic metres at 3pm to 18 cubic metres at 3.30pm.
"The outcome is tragic in this case. It seems to have been quite a rain bomb come through," he said.
By 4pm the water volume had fallen back to 0.5 cubic metres, the newspaper said.
Five bodies were retrieved from the river late last night, New Zealand police said. Two more bodies were found about 2.30am today. (Photos from the scene)
One of the five survivors was taken to hospital for treatment but the others were not badly hurt, police said.
The adventurers were part of a 40-strong group attending the week-long outdoor education course.
Earlier Mr Burton said the students were canyoning down a river near the centre when they became separated from the main party.
They did not show up to be collected along with other students at the end of the activity late yesterday afternoon.
"From what I understand they were well equipped for the journey with wetsuits, life jackets and harnesses," Mr Burton said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was shocked by the tragedy.
"My sincere condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives in the Mangatepopo River, the Elim Christian College school community, and staff from the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre," she was quoted in The Herald as saying.