THE father of a former Worcester schoolgirl who drowned in New Zealand is warning youngsters of the dangers of an extreme watersport.

Chris Jordan has also branded New Zealand’s health and safety policies as reactive, not pro-active, and wants riverboarding to be banned.

Since the tragedy in April a number of safety measures have been adopted by riverboarding companies, but Mr Jordan says this is not enough.

“I am not going to see the industry self-regulate itself,” he said.

“Why should they be allowed to do it in the future. I believe the young people going out there to do this should be aware of the dangers involved.”

His daughter Emily Jordan became trapped between rocks and drowned during a riverboarding trip on the Kawarau River in New Zealand’s south island.

Adventure operators are now banned from taking people near the spot where 21-year-old Miss Jordan died when river levels are less than 100 cubic meters per second (cumecs).

On the day Miss Jordan died the river flow was 70-90 cumecs. Average levels are between 200 and 300 cumecs.

The rock where the former Alice Ottley School (now RGSAO) student became trapped will be blown up and riverboarding staff will have to complete a river rescue training course.

They will also have to carry a rope and knife on all trips.

Mr Jordan, of Trimpley, near Bewdley, said carrying this equipment was a “joke” and staff needed equipment to give immediate life-saving treatment.

“Emily drowned in one to two inches of water, if they had given her a scuba tube of air in a small cylinder it would have made a difference,” he said.

He added the buoyancy aids given to the group were not adequate and when his daughter’s body was recovered it was no longer on her.

Mr Jordan criticised the lack of training given to people taking part in the extreme sport. “If you learn to do any water sport with that degree of danger you train and learn how to do it,” Mr Jordan said.

“How anybody can say jumping into a river on a board and going down with no means of escape after five minutes of training is safe is beyond me.

“It is just mental and would not happen in this country.”