Unicycling adventurer dies after tragic crash
A unicyclist who died after a collision with a truck was a ‘‘perfect dad’’ who had cycled around the world, his grieving partner says.
Bruce Hall, 53, hugged his partner Lindsay Wu and their young son before heading off on his morning ride in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga.
‘‘He left this morning perfectly happy,’’ Wu said last night.
Hall was an experienced rider – he and his unicycle had clocked up thousands of kilometres around the world.
Wu described Hall as ‘‘a perfect dad’’ to their seven-year-old boy and the love of her life. The pair met in 2005, at a Mt Albert College cooking night class. They lived in Onehunga, raising chickens and enjoying long walks. Hall also had a daughter from a previous relationship.
He was passionate about unicycling because it was ‘‘different and took real skill’’, Wu said.
During his 15-year career, he had travelled the world, including tours of Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Nepal.
‘‘Bruce was an adventurer,’’ said Wu. ‘‘But he was a very careful person, always reminding me to be safe. I don’t know how I’ll live without him.
‘‘Before he rode off, our son said ‘can I have a hug, Dad?’ Then I asked for mine, he hugged me too, and walked out the door with a smile.’’
The accident happened just before 9.30am on Onehunga Mall, and Hall died at the scene. Police are investigating.
Hall’s friend and fellow unicyclist Ken Looi remembered him as ‘‘determined to ride everything’’.
Looi’s most striking memory was of accompanying Hall, stricken with altitude sickness, down a Nepalese mountain in the middle of a snowstorm with sherpas. ‘‘Bruce was up and smiling the next day,’’ he said.