Family blames daughter's death on the pursuit of most extreme sports

The parents of a British backpacker killed while river-boarding in New Zealand have accused extreme sports companies of trying to outdo one another.

Emily Jordan, 21, became trapped between rocks while riding a body-board down a raging river near the resort of Queenstown on South Island. After 20 minutes guides managed to free her but were unable to resuscitate her. The death on Tuesday came just a day after Sridhar Shekar, a doctor from Leeds, was killed while jet-skiing in Australia.

Ms Jordan had been on a six-month backpacking trip with her boyfriend, Armour, 23, when she decided to try river-boarding down the Kawarau river gorge with the Mad Dog River Boarding Company. The firm advertises the sport as "the most personally challenging and action-packed water activity in New Zealand".

Ms Jordan's mother, Sarah, said yesterday she would not have let her daughter try river-boarding because she believed it was too dangerous. "We were upset when she left for six months but I thought at least she would be coming back and I would see her again – it has been a very traumatic day," she said. Ms Jordan's father, Christopher, added: "Are these companies right to try and outdo each other [to] attract kids to do these sports? Are they trying to push this too far?"

As Mr and Mrs Jordan, from Worcestershire, prepared to fly to New Zealand, they paid tribute to a "special" daughter who would have turned 22 in a fortnight's time.

"She was always laughing and smiling and lived life to the full. She was an intelligent and beautiful daughter," said Mrs Jordan.

Her husband added: "Emily and Jonathan had worked hard to get good degrees. It is a tragic, tragic situation, it could happen to anybody but you can't stop them from going around the world for this adventure – they had deserved it."

Ms Jordan, who graduated last year with a first class law degree from Swansea University, had been travelling since February and was expected home in August.

Sgt Stephen Ereckson, of Queenstown police, said the river had been flowing normally at the time of Ms Jordan's death and the matter was now under investigation.

Brad McLeod, owner of Mad Dog, described the drowning as his "worst nightmare" and said the company would be closed until further notice. He said in a statement: "My staff and I are struggling to come to terms with [Tuesday's] events and we can't begin to imagine how difficult this is for Emily's family, partner and friends."

Heather Findlay, 25, who tried river-boarding with the company last year, said: "I was a bit apprehensive when I had to sign a form saying that if I died it wasn't Mad Dog's fault.

"We were going down ferocious rapids on what is essentially tiny bit of plastic – it's dangerous enough in a raft but when you're on a board you can't control where you are going.

"I got sucked into one rapid called the 'Man Eater' and thought I was going to drown. I just got caught up in the undercurrent and it kept swirling me around."

Dr Shekar, 31, died after the jet ski he was riding collided with a moored boat. His wife, who was riding with him, was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries and shock. Staff at Shane's Watersports World, where the couple had hired the craft, said they had warned him he was going too close to a boat moments before the tragedy.