A Kingston man who reversed his boat into a young girl in Lake Wakatipu, causing her to be struck by its propeller, must pay $20,000 reparation to her family.
He was convicted on a charge of dangerous activity involving a ship, and sentenced by Judge Russell Walker in the Queenstown District Court on Wednesday.
The court heard the victim was one of four children taking turns on an inflatable biscuit being pulled by Deasy’s boat.
She was at the back of the boat, feeding out rope, while two other children were riding on the biscuit.
Her leg got caught in the rope and she was flipped into the lake.
However, instead of killing the boat’s engine and pulling the girl back on board, Deasy reversed, causing her leg to be caught in the propeller.
She suffered serious lacerations to both legs and was unable to walk for months.
In a media statement, Maritime New Zealand southern compliance manager Domonic Venz said that before leaving shore, Deasy had prioritised safety for everyone on board, checking there were life jackets and having a briefing with the children explaining safety matters.
The accident would have been avoided if he had understood the risks and turned the boat off, he said.
"In high-pressure situations, it is critical skippers understand how to avoid situations that can put themselves, their passengers or others at risk."
As well as making the reparation order, Judge Walker imposed a $750 fine.
