Mar 10 2025 8 mins
A coroner's report says a man who drowned on Wellington's waterfront may not have, if the council's safety procedures had been better.
Open Justice reports 30-year-old Sandy Calkin drowned in Wellington Harbour in 2021 after accidentally falling in after drinking on Courtney Place.
Coroner Katherine Greig's report says Wellington City Council knew about identified safety risks at the waterfront but failed to act on them.
The report says the risks were identified in 2013 and since then, seven people have drowned in the harbour.
It also found there was no council record or investigation into any of those deaths.
The victim’s father, Roger Calkin, told Nick Mills the fact that his son’s death could’ve been prevented is absolutely gutting, but it justifies everything they’ve been pushing for for over three years.
He says it’s a bit of a struggle seeing the situation playing out in the media like it is, but it’s got to be done.
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