Family of Auckland boat crash victim mourns

Coast Guard vessel (file image).
Photo: Supplied / Coast Guard

A close friend of the man killed in Sunday’s crash said his family were in shock.

A boat with seven people on board capsized at a Manukau bar in Auckland.

Sudesh Kumar said the deceased was 52-year-old Mangere East resident Parama Sivam Sami, known as Bimal.

Kumar said Sami came to New Zealand from Lautoka in Fiji 20 years ago and left behind a wife and four children in their 20s (three daughters and one son).

He said the close-knit family was mourning the loss of a kind, good-hearted man.

“Bimal is one of my close brothers. He is also the husband of my wife’s sister. We don’t know what to say to each other. The family is in mourning. We are depressed, upset and shocked.”

He said that Sami loves fishing.

“When he returned from fishing, he always gave the fish to his friends.”

He said the Sami were highly respected in New Zealand’s Muslim and Indian communities.

“He always helped people. He was a good trader. Every time he went to work, he found a friend, he was just that kind of person. He interacted with people.”

He said the family recently traveled to Fiji to celebrate Sami’s 50th birthday.

“He was looking forward to a new chapter. He left our family so early.”

Earlier on Monday, one of Sami’s friends said he was a “really funny guy” and an “amazing dude.”

“Loved fishing, he was obsessed with fishing, loved drinking wine,” Russell “Rusty” Ensor of Striker Charters in Tauranga.

“He was always a character to have on the boat.”

Sami’s friend Mohammed Ali-Bobby said he warned him against crossing the bar the day before the accident happened.

“Sniper season had just started so he thought of going over the stile – but we hardly go (cross) the Manukau Bar, we always go towards the Hauraki Gulf. I just sent him a video of crossing the bar and how it was so bad.

“He didn’t tell me about it, I always tell him: don’t cross the bar, don’t cross the bar.” So sad, man.”

Auckland Marine Unit Sergeant Craig Kennedy told Morning Report it was unclear how Sami died as the water was calm, the group were wearing life jackets and were pulled from the water just five to ten minutes after the boat capsized.

“There are a lot of accidents in the crossing area and if it weren’t for other boats nearby, we could have drowned several times.”

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