Justice Katherine Greig, the coroner for Isaac Levings’ inquest, says the number of deaths at the Wellington waterfront compares unfavourably to those at other waterfronts. Photo \/ Pool, RNZ<\/p>\n
Coroner Katherine Greig began the inquest by acknowledging that Levings was a \u201cyoung man with much to offer\u201d whose life was \u201ccut tragically short\u201d. <\/p>\n
She said the last hours of Levings\u2019 life were a \u201ctiny but tragically important part of his life\u201d but that she would not be passing judgment on the fact he was intoxicated when he died.<\/p>\n
Greig said the number of deaths that occurred at the Wellington waterfront \u201cdid not compare favourably\u201d to those at other waterfronts. <\/p>\n
Counsel assisting the coroner Joshua Shaw said the inquest held two purposes: \u201cOne to look backward, the other to look forward\u201d. <\/p>\n
He described Levings\u2019 death as an \u201cuntimely tragedy\u201d and said the inquest could help determine what could be done to prevent more grieving families like the Levings.<\/p>\n
Two days after he drowned, a police diving squad retrieved his body, which had sunk 10m deep in the harbour.<\/p>\n
Levings\u2019 autopsy report confirmed the cause of his death was drowning but that being drunk contributed to his death.<\/p>\n
His blood and urine alcohol levels showed he was moderately intoxicated.<\/p>\n
No recreational drugs were found in his system and he had no reported history of mental health problems.<\/p>\n
Tributes for Levings, including a basketball with \u201cyou were the most wonderful teacher, we will all miss you\u201d written on it, piled up outside his classroom door at Elmwood Normal School.<\/p>\n
Leving\u2019s parents, Charles and Margaret, and his brother James spoke at the inquest, with other family in attendance in the public gallery.<\/p>\n
Charles said Levings was \u201ca very easy son and a very easy brother\u201d who was \u201cquick-witted\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen him drink to that level, I assumed it had something to do with the friends he met up with,\u201d Charles said. <\/p>\n
When he saw the CCTV footage of his son\u2019s last moments, he said Levings seemed like \u201csomeone who was very stressed and unable to make rational decisions\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact he was drunk shouldn\u2019t define him.\u201d<\/p>\n
A primary school teacher with a keen interest in sports, Levings was remembered by his colleagues and students\u2019 parents for his love and enthusiasm for the children he taught.<\/p>\n
James read out quotes from Levings\u2019 colleagues, who said he had an \u201cinfectious enthusiasm for life\u201d and \u201can extraordinary gift for making people feel seen\u201d.<\/p>\n
He teared up while reading messages from Levings\u2019 students, who said he made school a \u201cfun and happier place\u201d and that they still wanted to make him proud.<\/p>\n
James said he hoped to understand \u201chow a series of systems, operating within their own responsibilities\u201d had \u201cfailed\u201d to keep his brother safe.<\/p>\n
Isaac (from left), Margaret, Charles and James Levings.<\/p>\n
Levings had originally planned to come to Wellington for a trip to Martinborough, according to Daniel Baylis, his friend who gave evidence today. <\/p>\n
He moved his flight forward after Baylis told him of a plan to go to the concert of the band The 1975 beforehand. <\/p>\n
Baylis said the pair had been friends for three years after meeting through mutual friends and spoke online almost daily. <\/p>\n
He said he and Levings had only met a few times in person because he lived in Taranaki while Levings lived in Christchurch.<\/p>\n
Baylis remembered Levings as an \u201cawesome\u201d person who was \u201cvery funny\u201d and \u201calways good to get along with\u201d. <\/p>\n
The night of the concert, Baylis said he, his sister Alex, Levings and their friend Michael all bought a 10-pack of RTD alcoholic drinks each, which they all drank to completion before the concert.<\/p>\n
They walked to the TSB Arena while drunk but coherent and arrived at the venue at 8.30pm. <\/p>\n
Once there, Baylis said the group each had at least four glasses of wine to drink. <\/p>\n
At 9.30pm, Baylis and Michael went to the bathroom while Alex went further into the mosh pit. <\/p>\n
When Baylis came out of the bathroom, Levings was nowhere to be found. <\/p>\n
He was not aware Levings had vomited or was taken away by security staff. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t worried at this stage,\u201d Baylis said. <\/p>\n
He first called Levings on Facebook Messenger at 9.56pm and called him at least five more times to no avail, concluding that his phone might be flat.<\/p>\n
The friends walked around looking for Levings before eventually walking back to Michael\u2019s home on Abel Smith St in Te Aro, where the group had been earlier that evening. <\/p>\n
Baylis sent Levings his live location and the friends waited up for Levings before passing out at 3am. <\/p>\n
Baylis explained the group had planned to head to Michael\u2019s flat post-concert but was unsure if Levings was aware of this plan. <\/p>\n
The next morning, another friend of theirs filed a missing person\u2019s report for Levings after calling police and Wellington Hospital and failing to track him down.<\/p>\n
Temporary fencing was put up along the Wellington waterfront after Isaac Levings’ death but it was taken down late last year. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
Louise Torres had been working at security company Red Badge for eight years when she worked at the concert Levings attended. <\/p>\n
At 8.30pm she got a call on her radio, alerting her to a man who had thrown up in the crowd and found Levings with visible chunks of vomit on him. <\/p>\n
She removed him from the concert and took him to a \u201cchill-out zone\u201d, a designated space for people who needed a break from the crowd because they were too drunk or overwhelmed. <\/p>\n
Torres said Levings looked fairly intoxicated to her, with slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, but was not argumentative. <\/p>\n
Paramedics asked Levings where his home was but he only grunted, appearing to not want to be there, she said. <\/p>\n
Torres said she was called away five minutes later to attend a separate incident.<\/p>\n
At some point, Levings left the chill-out zone and exited the venue. <\/p>\n
After the concert, Torres did a perimeter sweep of the area outside TSB arena and spotted Levings holding on to a pergola, stumbling around. <\/p>\n
She asked him if he was okay but he waved her off. <\/p>\n
Torres was \u201cconcerned\u201d and asked her colleague, who was more senior, if they should go after him but was told there was not much they could do. <\/p>\n
\u201cI had a gut feeling something did not feel quite right,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
The next day, she saw a social media post stating that Levings was missing. <\/p>\n
She called police to tell them she had seen him and feared he could have fallen into the water. <\/p>\n
Today in court, Torres said she wanted to see fencing installed along the waterfront for large events and for lighting in the area surrounding TSB Arena to be improved. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I learned Isaac had died, I was extremely frustrated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was confused why he had been allowed to leave alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wellington Free Ambulance head of event medical services Daniel Ashcroft said he was told a Red Badge staff member had evicted Levings out of the concert, but was unsure if this meant he was removed from the event or the premises. <\/p>\n
Red Badge\u2019s Duty of Care police said that patrons who were too intoxicated should not be removed from the venue unless they have a safe way home or were accompanied by friends. <\/p>\n
Roger Calkin with a photo of his late son, Sandy Calkin, who fell into Wellington Harbour and drowned in July 2021.<\/p>\n