Husband was belaying to climber before fall

No-one will be prosecuted after the death of a woman who fell from a Greymouth climbing wall last year.

Experienced climber Gina Tracey Bosselman, 74, died in Christchurch Hospital on April 25 last year, 23 days after she fell at least seven metres on to a thin safety mat.

Health and safety inspector Lucky Munro yesterday told an inquest into Bosselman's death that the Labour Department recommended no action be taken against any party.

This included Frederick Bosselman, 80, who was belaying the rope to his wife before she fell, and Tai Poutini Polytechnic, which managed the climbing wall. The climbing wall has not been open to the public since the accident.

Munro said the polytechnic had a duty under the Health and Safety Act to ensure climbers were not harmed, and it had failed to take steps to prevent the accident.

"However, given the deceased's own knowledge and qualifications, she had responsibility for her own safety and made an insistent decision to have her husband belay her, despite her daughter's concerns," he said.

Munro said the polytechnic had procedures to check the qualifications and skills of people using the climbing wall, but these had not been implemented.

If the procedures, such as ensuring climbing partners held a "belay licence", had been followed, the accident would not have occurred, he said.

The department was now working with outdoor recreation groups to develop guidelines and systems to better regulate the climbing-wall industry, he said.

Polytechnic lawyer Garth Gallaway said a decision on reopening the climbing wall to the public had yet to be made.

Regional Coroner Richard McElrea said Bosselman should not feel responsible for his wife's death.

"Mr Bosselman was in a position he should not have been ... Procedures were in place which, if implemented, would have prevented this accident."

He said he would release his findings within a week.

After the inquest, Bosselman and Gina Bosselman's daughter, Karen Grant, paid tribute to their "passionate" wife and mother.

Bosselman said his wife had been a scuba diver, pilot, cyclist, artist and house builder.

"Gina could do anything. She was determined to enjoy life and gain greater knowledge as she went through it," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News