Morning Report
today devoted nearly seven minutes to an accident on the Skyline luge at
Rotorua – more than twice as much time as it gave to a fatal helicopter
crash near Wanaka. Guyon Espiner
interviewed a man who witnessed the grisly spectacle while passing overhead on
the chairlift, and who was clearly traumatised by the experience. The witness seemed
indignant that there wasn’t a Victim Support team waiting at the top to offer
immediate counselling.
Goodness me, there was blood visible. Children saw it too
and no doubt would have been left permanently scarred. The witness was appalled
at the Skyline staff’s apparently casual reaction to the tragedy. I half
expected him to call for a commission of inquiry.
Espiner’s co-host Susie Ferguson then leapt in like a tag wrestler
and grilled the company CEO, whose assurance that a paramedic and ambulance
were promptly on the scene was apparently deemed inadequate. Ferguson wanted to
know whether the accident victim might be permanently maimed, and when the
perplexed CEO couldn’t answer that, not being a medical man, she imperiously demanded:
“Why not?”
The company’s callous indifference was considered such an outrage
that the item ran several minutes past the usual break for the 8.30am news.
A listener tuning in halfway through could have been excused
for wondering what awful catastrophe had unfolded. In fact the accident victim had broken
his ankle.
So: “Man breaks ankle on luge”. It’s not exactly up there
with, say, the Carterton balloon tragedy.
I’ve been on the Skyline luge a number of times, first with
my kids and more recently with my grandchildren, and I’d be surprised if minor
accidents like this weren’t a regular occurrence. People ride on luges because
they provide a thrill. If there wasn’t an element of risk, the business wouldn’t
exist. So why the fuss?
Morning Report can
normally be counted on to provide a refuge from the confected non-news that
other media outlets bombard us with. I bet I’m not the only listener hoping
this was just a momentary lapse of judgment. 