Jet ski tragedy: Vincent Cornell-Cooke died after giving lifejacket to brother
Vincent "Vinnie" Cornell-Cooke, died while saving his brother during a jet ski incident on Lake Taupō. The coroner has released findings into his death.
Photo:
Open Justice / NZME
When Vincent Cornell-Cooke saw his brother struggling to stay afloat after they had fallen off a jet ski, he told him he loved him, and handed him his lifejacket.
The 35-year-old's "ultimate sacrifice" saved his brother Bronson's life, but resulted in the loss of his own.
As Bronson clung to the one lifejacket they had between them, efforts were made to keep Vincent afloat in the choppy waters of Lake Taupō, but eventually he went under and disappeared.
His body was found by a police dive squad seven metres underwater at 3.30pm the next day.
After his death, a Givealittle page was set up to raise support for Vincent's wife and children. In it "Vinnie" was remembered as "an amazing and loving husband and father, who poured his heart and soul into his family".
"His generosity, courage, and devotion to his family and friends will forever leave a legacy of love and kindness," the page read.
Now, a coroner's findings have been released outlining the circumstances of the tragic death, and providing safety recommendations for other jet ski riders.
On 18 January 2025, Vincent and his two brothers, Washington and Bronson, arrived in Taupō to celebrate Bronson's 30th birthday.
They began celebrations with skydiving, followed by food and drinks at their hotel, before Vincent and Bronson went into town where they had "a significant amount of alcohol", and then caught a taxi back to the hotel.
The next day, the three brothers headed to the lake to use Bronson's jet ski, taking it for a spin, one at a time.
But about 12.30pm, Vincent and Bronson headed out on the jet ski together, with Vincent driving and wearing the one lifejacket they had between them.
Neither of them could swim.
As the water became choppier, they were thrown without warning from the jet ski. Vincent's lifejacket was not connected to the emergency safety engine cut-off switch, which meant the jet ski circled before drifting away.
Bronson told the coroner the men were "freaking out", and he was struggling to stay afloat.
Vincent took off the lifejacket, which Bronson reluctantly took.
While Vincent struggled and eventually went under, Bronson managed to signal for help and people on the beach called emergency services.
Police rescued Bronson about 1pm.
A post-mortem listed Vincent's cause of death as drowning. A toxicology report did not detect any alcohol, but found methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was present.
The pathologist advised that "MDMA is a stimulant that can contribute to impaired judgment, and it may have impacted [Vincent's] ability to safely operate the jet ski".
However, the coroner noted the analysis did not indicate when this was ingested or in what quantities.
Coroner Ian Telford began his recommendations by acknowledging Vincent's death was tragic.
He said the circumstances around it were "profoundly moving - an enduring example of someone making the ultimate sacrifice for their brother".
However, he also said that while he didn't wish to add to the family's pain, he had assessed that Vincent's death was "highly preventable".
Telford said Vincent's consumption of alcohol and recent ingestion of MDMA may have impaired his condition and judgment, but also noted, "while Vincent may not have been in optimal condition", it appears that the jet ski capsizing was, fundamentally, "an unforeseeable accident".
"It could have been caused by random instability of the craft or roughness of the water. There is simply no way to determine the exact cause of the capsizing."
The main factors the coroner considered relevant were that Vincent ended up without a lifejacket and couldn't swim; and a cord was not attached to Vincent's wrist or lifejacket, so the engine cut-off switch wasn't activated.
"This prevented the brothers from being able to reboard the jet ski, or at least use it to aid their flotation."
The coroner said Vincent's chances of survival would have been "considerably higher" had he been wearing a lifejacket and properly using the emergency safety engine cut-off switch on the jet ski.
"By bringing this finding to the public's attention, it is hoped that other jet ski users will rediscover the lifesaving value of taking these small safety steps, and also recognise the potentially devastating consequences of neglecting them."
Telford also urged people to refer to Maritime New Zealand's website and take note of its advice.
Some of the key information he summarised was:
This story originally appeared in the
New Zealand Herald
.
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