Victim knew risks of jetboating
The ‘‘loyal and determined’’ man killed in a Canterbury jetboating accident understood the risks of motorsport, his wife says.
Duayne Insley, 47, died after he was struck by a log while navigating a boat during a World Championship Jetboat Marathon race on the Waimakariri River, north of Christchurch, on Sunday morning.
His wife, Deana Insley, said he was her ‘‘rock’’ and her ‘‘soulmate’’ who ‘‘lived for the outdoors, hunting and camping’’.
‘‘He gave my life meaning and absolute happiness. We worked, lived and travelled together, but he never stopped my independence either. I will miss him every minute of every day for the rest of my life.
‘‘I will remember Duayne for his strong will, his determination to get things done and his no-nonsense attitude.
‘‘Duayne’s loyalty to the people and community that he loved was impeccable. He has risked life and limb for many others and has touched many hearts.’’
She said the Glenorchy man, known to his friends as Dweeb, loved his daughter Evee Insley ‘‘first and foremost and above all others’’.
‘‘And he loved me with a tenderness and passion that had to be seen to be appreciated.’’
Deana Insley said her husband knew motorsport risks and the jetboat driver Dwayne Terry was one of his closest friends.
‘‘We all understood that this sport is a high risk sport, there is no blame attached. Dwayne Terry is a faultless driver.
‘‘This is an accident in the true meaning of the word, it was unpredicted and unforeseen. My heart goes out to him and his family.’’
Terry earlier told he would not race jetboats again after the ‘‘freak accident’’ that killed his best friend, who was ‘‘like a brother’’. The pair had raced together for six years.
During a race on the second day of the week-long competition, the pair decided to leave the main river channel to go down a side channel in the hope of finding a short cut, around 20 kilometres east of the State Highway 72 bridge.
Insley, sitting in the navigator’s seat on the right side of the jet boat, was killed instantly when he struck a protruding log.
‘‘I couldn’t race with anyone else other than Duayne, without him I don’t want to do it,’’ Terry said.
‘‘I don’t think my head would ever be in the right space again after this tragedy.’’
Police were investigating the crash on behalf of the coroner.
Insley had worked as a jet boat driver for Queenstown’s Dart River Jet Safaris and was, with his wife, an owner/operator of High Country Horses trekking company.
He had 15 years’ experience with jetboats and had raced extensively with Terry.
Deana Insley said her husband had proposed to her in Monaco just before accepting the world title for the FX jetboat class in Monaco in 2013.
Insley and Terry had twice been New Zealand FX class champions and had won races ‘‘on every river in the South Island’’.
Deana Insley said she had received hundreds of messages of support.
A celebration of Duayne Insley’s life will be held in Glenorchy on Sunday.
‘‘I will miss him every minute of every day for the rest of my life.’’Duayne Insley’s wife Deana