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Supplied
The boat capsized just before midnight on March 20, 2022.
The skipper of the fishing boat Enchanter, which sank last March, has appeared in court for the first time.
Enchanter capsized just before midnight on March 20 last year when a rogue wave hit the boat.
Five men died, while five others survived.
Earlier this year, Maritime NZ filed charges in the Kaitaia District Court against charter company Enchanter Fishing and skipper Lance Goodhew. Each face one charge of breaching the Health and Safety Work Act.
READ MORE:
* Charges laid over sinking of Enchanter charter boat that killed five men
* The fishing trip that claimed five lives: What we know about the Far North boat tragedy
* Skipper in Far North boat sinking previously fined for breaching safety rules
Goodhew appeared at the Kaitaia District Court on Monday and is set to next appear in August.
Goodhew’s company also faces an additional charge of breaching the Maritime Transport Act 1994.
The men who died were all from the Waikato area. They were:
- Mike Lovett, 72
- Richard Bright, 63
- Mark Sanders, 43
- Geoffrey James Allen, 72
- Mark Keith Walker, 41.
Kirstie Hewlett, Maritime NZ director, previously said the investigation included interviews with a range of people, understanding the weather and sea state on the days of the journey, reviewing the design and construction of the vessel, its maintenance, the culture and processes of the organisation and the navigation of the journey.
Enchanter’s hull had “snapped in half” during bad weather and the wheelhouse had been “ripped out”, Penetaui Kleskovic, operations manager for Te Aupōuri Commercial Development said at the time.
The alarm was raised at about 8pm the following night, when an emergency locator beacon was activated.
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