\u201cWe trusted our son would be safe at school,\u201d his mother, Alicia Toki, told a packed courtroom at the Whang\u0101rei District Court. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe never want any other family to be in the same position as us.\u201d <\/p>\n
Karnin, known as Tino, died during a Whang\u0101rei Boys\u2019 High School outdoor education trip in May 2023 after floodwaters surged through the cave system<\/a>. <\/p>\n Heavy rain turned the stream running through the Abbey Caves into a torrent, trapping the group inside<\/a>. Sixteen other boys and two adults managed to escape. <\/p>\n The court heard Karnin had expressed concerns about the weather before the trip went ahead. <\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t feel like it was an informed decision for us. He was concerned about the weather, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe asked one hundred times.\u201d <\/p>\n A sign outside Abbey Caves, where a Whang\u0101rei student was swept away by flood waters. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n His mother said she encouraged him to trust his instincts. <\/p>\n \u201cListen to your feelings and don\u2019t go in. We can deal with any troubles later.\u201d <\/p>\n The family ultimately believed the school would make the right call. <\/p>\n As the rain worsened, Karnin\u2019s father, Andre Petera, sent his son a message: \u201cDon\u2019t go into that stupid cave if you don\u2019t want to.\u201d <\/p>\n Tino replied simply: \u201cK.\u201d <\/p>\n Soon after, as word began to spread that the group was in trouble, Andre called the school office. <\/p>\n \u201cI could tell by the tone of her voice that something was not right,\u201d he told the coroner. <\/p>\n He then picked up Toki from work and drove towards the Abbey Caves, where families and media had gathered behind a police cordon. <\/p>\n Toki wiped away tears in the witness stand as she described the confirmation<\/a> that came hours later from emergency services. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have found Karnin, but he is not alive.\u201d <\/p>\n A notice of a r\u0101hui at Abbey Caves following the death of a high school student (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a-sign-outside-abbey-caves-where-a-whangarei-student-was-swe-2WXYONEMJVC2JELPVLK2E2XFMY.jpg\")
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