Hunter Valley bus crash: Families of victims prepare to say their goodbyes after delayed funerals
Families of the 10 victims of the Hunter Valley bus crash are finally preparing to say goodbye after major delays during the ongoing police investigation.
As of Monday, the ten people killed in Australia’s worst road disaster in three decades will be buried in emotional funerals across the country.
Angus Craig, Zachary Bray, Tori Cowburn, Rebecca Mullen, Nadene and Kyah McBride, Kane Symons, Andrew and Lynan Scott and Darcy Bulman were killed when a bus carrying 35 wedding guests hit Greta at 11:30 p.m. on June 11.
Devastated family members waited more than two weeks to bury their loved ones as investigators worked to formally identify the bodies.
The formal farewell – expected to last for weeks – marks the next painful chapter for the family, friends and colleagues of the tragic dead – many of whom shared close friendships.
The victims – and other wedding guests – had traveled from all over the country to attend the wedding of Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney, who had moved to the Hunter region from Melbourne only a few years ago.
Queensland-based engineer Angus Craig, 28, is known for his ‘kindness’ and ‘compassion’
Bec Mullen, from Singleton, was the Captain of Hunter Valley Grammar School in 2015. The doctor in training will say goodbye on Wednesday
Pictured: Emergency services at the scene of the Greta crash earlier this month
Engineer Angus Craig, 28, will be the first to be buried when he says his goodbyes at 11am Monday at a service at The Chapel, Shoalhaven Memorial Gardens, in Worrigee, on the NSW south coast.
Mr Craig, who was working in the coal mines in Central Queensland at the time of his death, was a close friend of the groom Mitch Gaffney, whom he met while attending university in Singleton.
He was only a few months away from his first uncle and is remembered as a “talented engineer” with an “infectious smile and boundless enthusiasm.”
“What a piercing blue eye, soft spoken and gentle, such a true gentleman, you will be truly missed by all of us,” his Aunt Lex wrote on an online tribute wall.
Boyfriend Mekayla Burdfield said she was still “trying to wrap her head” around the fact that he was gone.
“You were so special Angus… Sincere, caring, compassionate and special in your kindness,” she wrote.
“The gratitude I feel sharing memories, laughter and life with you is immeasurable. I thank you eternally for the lessons you taught me and the way you filled my journey with love and happiness.”
Madeleine Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney tied the knot on Sunday afternoon at Wandin Valley Estate in the Hunter Valley
Kane Symons (photo) will be said goodbye in a service in Tasmania this Sunday
Mr Symons was in a relationship with Kyah McBride (left), who also died, as well as her mother Nadene (right)
Junior doctor Rebecca Mullen, who worked at Calvary Mater Newcastle hospital, was just weeks away from marrying her fiancé Sam Howard when her life was tragically cut short.
Instead, loved ones will say goodbye to her at a funeral service in Singleton on Wednesday.
Tributes are pouring in online for the “beautiful human being” who was a member of the local dance community.
“Bec will always be remembered for her kind heart and warm smile, nothing is ever a problem and always ready to help if you needed it,” Hunter Urban Dance Studio wrote online.
“Loved and sorely missed by family and friends, thank you for being an amazing, beautiful human being, inside and out. We are privileged to have known you and you touched our lives forever.”
The University of Sydney’s St John’s College said they started a Bachelor of Veterinary Bioscience with them in 2016 before moving on to the University of Newcastle to pursue a degree in medicine.
Tori Cowburn, a talented soccer player from Singleton, also lost her life
Andrew and Lynan Scott, from Singleton, were killed in the crash
Rector Dr Mark Schembri said the college was ‘saddened’ by her death and offered condolences to her family and friends.
In a heartbreaking post on Saturday, her fiancé Sam invited loved ones to attend the Civic Center at 11 a.m. on June 28 to “celebrate” her life.
“We ask that you wear floral or bright clothing and bring a special memory or photo for our family to collect and read in the future,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, on Sunday 2 July, talented surfer Kane Symons, 21, from Tasmania will be said goodbye at a ceremony in South Hobart.
The apprentice electrician had moved to Singleton for work, where he met his girlfriend Kyah McBride, who also died in the crash along with her mother Nadene.
The Carlton Park Surf Lifesaving Club said the ‘Day for Kane’ will begin with a paddling ceremony at 10am followed by burial at 2pm at C3 Church.
“Gather at the club (paddle ready – wetsuit, booties, gloves and all manner of craft) at 9:45am to join family and friends for a ceremonial paddling,” the club wrote on Facebook.
Darcy Bulman (pictured posing with her partner Nick Dinakis) was also killed in the crash
Byron Bay man Zachary Bray, a colon cancer survivor, also died in the crash
“The club will have some extra signs available for those coming in from the interstate.”
After spending the day at Wandin Valley Estate, the victims were on their way back to Singleton when the bus rolled onto its side on Wine Country Drive near the Hunter Expressway.
The wreckage was so gruesome that disaster victim identification specialists were brought in to help identify the dead.
Although funerals have been delayed, informal memorial services and vigils have been held in Singleton, Sydney, Victoria and Tasmania in honor of the victims.
The bride and groom are expected to attend the funerals, as well as family, friends and members of the Singleton community.
Funeral services have yet to be announced for colon cancer survivor Zachary Bray of Byron Bay, Melbourne accountant Darcy Bulman, and Singleton footballers Tori Cowburn and married couple Andrew and Lynan Scott.
Last week Ms Edsell and Mr Gaffney released a statement thanking the community for the ‘outpouring of love and support’.
A fundraiser launched to support the victims raised more than $242,000 within days, with the NSW government pledging to contribute an additional $100,000.