A former student of St Kevin’s College is pursuing legal action against the school and an outdoor education provider following a severe rock-climbing accident during a school camp at Mt Arapiles in April 2022. The then 16-year-old sustained multiple serious injuries after falling approximately three to four metres from a rock face, according to court documents filed in the Supreme Court in August.
The student was participating in a multi-pitch rock-climbing activity organized by the school and run by the climbing company Chris Peisker Pty Ltd. The writ alleges that the student, described as inexperienced in outdoor multi-pitch climbing, relied on instruction and equipment provided by the company at the school’s direction. The student sustained spinal fractures, broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, and an elbow injury requiring surgery. The writ also notes psychiatric harm, including depression, suffered as a consequence of the fall.
Emergency services, including high angle rescue crews from the Country Fire Authority, were called to retrieve the injured student from a ledge. Two other students who witnessed the fall were also rescued.
The student claims the injuries forced him to pause his schooling, effectively missing all of Year 11, which negatively impacted his academic performance. This, in turn, resulted in an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) insufficient to gain entry into a Bachelor of Medicine program. The writ states that he had aspired to become an orthopaedic surgeon, following in the footsteps of his older brother, with an estimated earning potential of approximately $585,000 per year. Instead, he has since begun training as a physiotherapist and is seeking damages for loss and impairment of earning capacity.
The legal action accuses St Kevin’s College of negligence, including inadequate supervision, failing to ensure the activity suited the student’s experience level, and not providing or enforcing appropriate climbing equipment standards. Chris Peisker Pty Ltd is alleged to have failed in adequately instructing the student on equipment use, properly inspecting the safety gear, and adequately supervising during the climb.
St Kevin’s College has yet to file a defence. Following the incident, the school advised parents that students remaining on the camp would shift from multi-pitch climbing to lower-risk activities such as top-ropes and bouldering. The school has since revised the program to limit climbing heights to three metres under direct staff supervision.
Mt Arapiles is known as a challenging climbing location, with safety warnings issued by Victoria’s State Emergency Service. Earlier in 2024, the area was the scene of two fatal climbing accidents, including the deaths of experienced climbers Angela Ha and Lee Lee Heah, underscoring the inherent risks associated with the terrain.