• Jarreth Colquhoun, 33, died after jumping from the SS Hikitia crane into Wellington Harbour, the equivalent of jumping off a 12-storey building. 
• A post-mortem examination revealed alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system. 
• A coroner has released her findings on the death and made recommendations in the hope of preventing similar tragedies. 

After climbing to the top of a crane moored at the capital’s waterfront, Jarreth Colquhoun took off his cap and waved to the crowd below. 

The waterfront was busy that summer day with spectators gathered to watch the nearby Manu World Champs, where the goal is to create a large splash. 

Wearing only black shorts and a cap, the army veteran was seen flinging his hat from the floating crane’s boom before jumping feet first into the harbour, falling 38m at a speed of 98km/h. 

A woman who watched Colquhoun jump noticed it took a long time for the 33-year-old to surface and when he did, he was face down in the water. 

Another bystander jumped in and swam out, trying to rescue Colquhoun, but lost sight of him as he sank below the surface in the murky water. 

Despite the help of lifeguards who arrived in an inflatable boat, Colquhoun couldn’t be found. 

Two hours later, the police dive squad found his body on the seafloor in about 10m of water, close to the historic SS Hikitia crane’s bow. The body was retrieved and taken to Wellington Hospital. 

A post-mortem examination revealed the presence of alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine and amphetamine in Colquhoun’s blood. 

Jarreth Colquhoun died after jumping from a crane into Wellington Harbour in 2024. Photo / Supplied 

The floating crane Hikitia on the Wellington waterfront the day Jarreth Colquhoun died jumping from it in January 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

A hard worker who was in a ‘happy place’ 

According to a coroner’s report released today, Colquhoun was extremely fit before his death last year. 

His mother Sue described him as a hard worker who “stood out especially in roles of a physical nature”. 

She said the father-of-three’s work colleagues would share “stories of amazement and being in awe of his stamina that he was able to maintain over a long period of time”. 

People gravitated towards her son because of his kindness and his ability to relate to others. 

But Colquhoun was also homeless when he died, something his mother attributed to his “low tolerance for rules”. 

In her findings, Coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave also ruled out suicide, saying nothing before her suggested Colquhoun intended to end his own life; on the contrary, he appeared to be in a happy place, she said. 

Cause of death: Jumping into cold water after taking methamphetamine 

In determining the cause of Colquhoun’s death, the coroner sought advice from pathologist Dr Mark Tullett. 

His report found the combination of methamphetamine and cold water immersion creates a highly hazardous situation that could easily result in severe health complications or even death. 

“The presence of methamphetamine in the body, combined with cold water immersion, can be extremely dangerous.” 

Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that raises heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature, while also causing blood vessels to constrict. 

“When suddenly immersed in cold water, the body reacts with a cold shock response, leading to rapid breathing, increased heart rate and further constriction of blood vessels as it tries to conserve heat,” his report said. 

Accepting Tullett’s report, the coroner found Colquhoun most likely died from a combination of acute methamphetamine ingestion and cold water immersion. 

What more could have been done? 

Two months after Colquhoun’s death, Coroner Schmidt-McCleave visited the Hikitia on the Taranaki St wharf. 

She noted the crane was moved shortly after Colquhoun’s death, so it sat over the ship rather than the water. 

Temporary fencing and signs had also been put up for an upcoming music festival, but were not there the day Colquhoun died. 

The coroner also observed ladders leading to the top of the crane for maintenance. There were CCTV cameras on board with signs around the ship stating “No unauthorised entry”. 

However, the Maritime Heritage Trust, which owns the crane, acknowledged a reasonably athletic person could climb the crane. 

Because of its location on Wellington’s waterfront, the crane has been the site of previous jumps, including the death of 20-year-old Jamie Gibbon. In that case, the coroner noted the self-evident risk of a jump from a crane of that height. 

According to the coroner’s findings, at the time of Colquhoun’s death, the trust had signs, cameras and a lockable fixture to the ladder rungs to the top of the crane, which met or exceeded industry standards. 

The trust had also installed more cameras on the crane and intended to add further cameras and a motion-activated voice recording directed at trespassers. 

However, the coroner didn’t accept the council’s assertion that the health and safety responsibilities that day rested solely with the trust. 

Given the close proximity of the manu competition at the nearby diving platform, she said it was unfair to place all safety responsibility on the trust. 

“This is particularly so when the event in question involves diving and jumping from height, which will inevitably lead to some spectators or participants seeking out other platforms to jump from in the vicinity,” the decision said. 

The coroner recommended that in the future, the council consider whether extra security measures, including temporary fencing, marshals, cones and barriers in the area next to the Hikitia were needed, particularly given the large numbers of participants and spectators in the vicinity. 

She suggested the council and trust work together to form a safety plan. 

She also recommended the crane remain permanently over the ship and the trust install an oral recording warning trespassers that jumping from the crane would likely result in death or serious injury. 

The coroner also endorsed the recent recommendations of Coroner Katharine Greig into the death of Sandy Calkin, who drowned after falling into the harbour in 2021. 

In that decision, the coroner found Calkin’s death may have been prevented if Wellington City Council had investigated previous deaths and accidents at the waterfront, kept accurate records and heeded experts’ advice. 

Roger Calkin with a photo of his late son, Sandy Calkin, who fell into Wellington Harbour and drowned in July 2021. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

WCC updated its health and safety for waterfront events 

Spokesman Richard MacLean said the council accepted the coroner’s recommendations into Colquhoun’s death and had updated its health and safety processes for waterfront events to reflect these. 

MacLean said the council also accepted the earlier recommendations relating to Calkin’s death and had agreed to the provision of $11 million in the draft annual plan towards possible edge protection improvements. 

It has also updated its health and safety practices to ensure it investigates when it becomes aware of a fall into the water or a safety issue on the waterfront. 

The council also extended its condolences to Colquhoun’s whānau and friends. 

Peter McKnight, chairman of the Maritime Heritage Trust of Wellington, said Colquhoun’s death had a significant impact on the volunteers who work on the Hikitia every Saturday. 

They expressed their condolences to his family for their terrible loss and supported the coroner’s recommendations. 

McKnight said the crane will remain in its new resting position permanently, unless it is required to move, to dissuade any future trespassers from jumping. 

He added the installation of the voice recording system is under way and is expected to be active in the coming months. 

Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist for 20 years, including at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently she was working as a media adviser at the Ministry of Justice.