Grieving Raetihi family speaks
Two families have been torn apart by the deaths of a Raetihi grandmother and two of her grandsons in a horror accident on the family farm.
Bev Hiscox, 65, and her two grandchildren, Luka and JJ Sirett, aged 10 and 5, died when the off-road farm vehicle they were travelling in – known as a side-by-side – plunged into a dam on the Hiscox family farm on Sunday morning.
Family spokesman Elijah Pue addressed a press conference yesterday, saying ‘‘the families mourn and the community mourns with them.’’
Both the Hiscox and Sirett families are ‘‘deeply saddened’’ by the tragic course of events ‘‘which resulted in the loss of their Mum and Nanny, and her two grandsons’’, an earlier family statement released by Pue read.
Nanny Bev, considered the family matriarch, was lauded for her talents in the garden, while Luka and JJ were the ‘‘closest of brothers’’.
An ‘‘awesome singer’’, Luka was also an avid Mine Craft player, while his younger brother JJ – who often wore a cheeky smile – loved snuggles and being in the outdoors, his family says.
The boys attended Ohakune Primary School, with JJ starting his education there this year.
Principal Lisa Clark said the school’s ‘‘thoughts and love’’ are with the family at this difficult time. ‘‘We as a school are completely devastated by the loss of our precious boys and their dearly loved grandmother,’’ Clark said.
Earlier today, police revealed the trio were travelling on the side-by-side, along with grandfather Mike Hiscox, known as Poppa, when it plunged into a dam, quickly becoming submerged in water. Mike was able to free himself and raise the alarm.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) rushed to the scene. A digger was used then to breach the dam in an attempt to drain the pool of its water.
But, their collective efforts came too late, and the vehicle was pulled from the dam with the bodies of Bev, Luka and JJ inside.
Mike was taken to Whanganui Hospital by rescue helicopter with moderate injuries, but has since been released.
Pue said the families were ‘‘naturally, distraught’’ – the two children losing their lives while ‘‘spending quality time with Nanny and Poppa’’.
‘‘Bev was a stalwart in the community, a talented gardener and held many voluntary roles across the district. A mother of five girls and a Nanny to 10 grandchildren, and the loving and devoted wife to Mike.
‘‘Just like their Nanny, Luka and JJ had the biggest of hearts,’’ Pue said.
The family has expressed its thanks to emergency services who ‘‘responded quickly’’ to the event.
Ruapehu District Mayor Don Cameron said the community was struggling to come to terms
with the scale of their heartbreak.
‘‘It’s [having] a huge impact, because [the family] is wellknown in the community, wellliked. A large family. And also those who attended from FENZ knew the family very well.
‘‘It’s pretty raw, and immensely hard to take it all in right now,’’ Cameron said.
He expected a significant turn-out from both Raetihi and neighbouring Ohakune when the trio is farewelled, however funeral details were still being worked through.
‘‘It’s just so sad. Such a lovely family. Having to undergo such an ordeal is just so sad.