Family of young boys Sonny and Eddie who died in New Zealand on holiday to make repatriation plans
Tragic new details about how two young boys died after their all-terrain vehicle rolled into a deep swimming hole in New Zealand have been revealed.
The cousins — six-year-old Perth boy Sonny, and four-year-old Auckland boy Eddie — were on holiday at a Fern Flat Rd address in Peria, on the nation’s northern tip, when the accident occurred on Friday at about 5.15pm.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Perth family grieving loss of little boy after he drowned in New Zealand.
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The children were holidaying on their grandmother’s farm when their vehicle crashed into a boulder, sending it into an 11m deep watering hole.
The bodies of the boys were recovered from the Waikainga Stream on Saturday.
Sonny’s heartbroken family, including his mother, father and stepparents, have flown to New Zealand to be with their family to prepare to bring him home to Perth.
Emergency services were thanked, along with a specialist dive team which the family said, “managed to bring our boys back to the Whenua (land) under such extreme circumstances and conditions.”
New Zealand police told 7NEWS a temporary protection practice called a rahui has been placed in the area.
“(The rahui) honours the deceased … provides spiritual protection and allows the area to regenerate its life force,” police said.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
A Go Fund Me page has been organised to help cover the repatriation of the boys, funeral expenses, and ongoing bills.
“Losing you both, has shattered hearts beyond repair,” fundraising organiser Mahdi-Jhan Sandford said.
“Our hearts are forever broken for you and our family and are unmendable.”
The boys have been remembered as “two little bright sparks” by a family member on social media.
“Sonny, our little sunshine, our bug-man, our fruit-bat, our sunny-bunny, our cheeky monkey. Our hearts are forever broken for you and are unmendable,” the family member said.
“Fly free with the grasshoppers and butterflies, our little mate. We’ll always love you forever, even if you can’t see us and even on our darkest of days, the thought of you will be a ray of Sonshine! We will love you forever and ever and always.
“Eddie was our gorgeous little boy who was so cheeky and cheerful, full of adventure, and so full of light he would brighten every room he walked into. Words cannot paint a picture of how wonderful and special our wee boy was.”
