The Star: September 14, 2017

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8 Thursday September 14 2017 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi The Star THE PERFECT FINISH Marley Stormcloud available from Edward Gibbon While renovating their 1960’s home in Beachlands, Neil and Marsha felt the exterior needed work to transform it into the home they envisioned. The recent addition of the brand new Marley Stormcloud® spouting in glossy black, made their home one of the first in the country to have Marley’s latest colour addition to the Stratus Design Series® range. Black is now available in Marley Stormcloud® and Typhoon® spouting, and RP80® downpipes. Neil says: “Our old spouting and downpipes were white which made the home feel a bit dated. We believe the black has truly transformed the modern look and style of our home.” “With rainwater our only supply of water and water safety imperative for our family, we went with Marley uPVC because it was certified to potable water standards. Being only 700 metres to the coast durability was really important also as we didn’t want to risk corrosion or rusting over time from metal spouting.” Stormcloud’s quarter-round profile was chosen to suit the architectural style of the 1960s home, with the added bonus of being the perfect solution to the constraint of the house’s short fascia boards. When asked what advice Neil would give others looking to undertake a similar project, he said: “Plan, plan, plan but have plenty of fun in the process. Be open to new ideas and where possible prioritise good building materials.” The biggest lesson of all? “Always listen to your wife.” says Neil. Visit the Edward Gibbon showroom for more information. Bathroom | Kitchen | Laundry | Outdoor Heating | Space Heating | Water Heating 293 Cranford Street (Showroom), St Albans P 366 7137 75 Kingsley St, Sydenham P 366 7199 www.edwardgibbon.co.nz
The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday September 14 2017 9 News Local News Now Fire rages, homes at risk Halswell lake claims mother, father • By Kurt Bayer A DRIVING lesson turned into tragedy leaving a five-month-old baby an orphan and a family mourning. The bodies of Sheetal Ram, 31, and her husband Avneel, 27, were removed from a lake in Halswell yesterday morning after a car plunged into the water on Tuesday night. Family member Hinesh Kumar identified the bodies at the scene as those of his sister-in-law her husband, police are yet to formally identify them. The couple are the parents of a five-month-old girl. The large group of family and friends formed a guard of honour as the bodies were carried from the lake shore to the waiting hearse. Mr Kumar said Avneel was a “hero” for trying to save his wife after their car slipped into the lake, reportedly while he was giving Sheetal a driving lesson, about 5.45pm. The family is devastated and are being consoled by friends. “This is obviously a very tragic event for the wider family, many of whom are here at the moment,” Superintendent Todd said. TRAGEDY: Avneel Ram and wife Sheetal died when their car plunged into a Halswell lake. They leave a five-month-old baby girl. “What appears to have occurred is that about 5.40pm the vehicle has driven into the lake and we’re determining exactly what the causes are.” He said in spite of speculation about what had happened, it was too early to confirm anything. A crane pulled the car out of the lake yesterday afternoon. It was found in poor visibility at a depth of about 6m, Superintendent Todd said. He wouldn’t confirm exactly where the bodies were found, whether they were inside or outside of the vehicle. Victim Support and police liaison officers were with the family. The couple’s child was being cared for by family members of the Fijian Indian couple, originally from Suva. “He is a hero to us. He tried to save his wife. Not everyone would do that,” Mr Kumar said. “We never expected this to happen to us. “We are totally lost. We don’t know what to do now, we don’t know what the next step will be.” The close-knit Fijian Indian community in Christchurch is a big help, the family say. They described the couple as “very friendly, very happy people”. “They were really fun to be around, really nice,” Mr Kumar said. Sheetal came to New Zealand last year, but her husband has been in New Zealand for about five years. He ran an air conditioning company and was well known in the community. He was teaching his wife how to drive so she could find work. Witness Jordan Fleming said he was walking his dog past the Westlake Reserve when he saw a woman in a red hatchback in the car park, and a man outside trying to open the driver’s door. “I heard the accelerator go and that’s when the car went off the bank down the hill into the lake,” he said. The man jumped in and swam after the sinking car, diving and resurfacing several times, Mr Fleming said. Then he dived and did not reappear. Firefighters and police tried to dive down to the vehicle to see if anyone was trapped inside. Other witnesses said two other people who tried to save the pair were taken away by ambulance. A diver went into the lake but came up indicating he could not reach the vehicle, locals say. The lake sits in the middle of a housing development in Halswell. Residents say it’s a deep former shingle quarry, popular with runners, walkers, cyclists and children feeding ducks. PEOPLE LOVE YOUR CARING SIDE allright.org.nz/ManlyAs Have you checked your underfloor repairs? This is the sort of ‘repair’ by both EQC and insurers we are finding. We will go under your house and give you peace of mind for free. NO WIN NO FEE Ph: 03 377 8855 | 127 Ferry Road, Christchurch City E: reception@earthquakeservices.co.nz | W: www.earthquakeservices.co.nz
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