Forever 26 in Rebecca's memory

In his first interview since his wife Rebecca Stockwell (nee Crawley) was killed by a boat while on honeymoon in Fiji, Hayden Stockwell talked to RACHEL YOUNG of the Marlborough Express about his horrendous day.

Hayden and Rebecca had arrived on the island of Matamanoa, for their honeymoon the day before and spent their first day swimming, lying on the beach and walking.

The next morning they had breakfast and lay on the beach for an hour or so before going into the water.

Hayden said they had been in the water for about five minutes and were 15 metres from the shore in a dedicated swimming and snorkling area from which boats were barred, when a passing boat hit Rebecca.

The couple were taken to shore aboard the boat, helicoptered to the airport and then taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Hayden said Rebecca fought and was unconscious for about four hours before she died. "The week before, I told her I'd spend the rest of my life with her and six days later she's gone."

The morning of the accident, Hayden's wedding ring fell off in the water while he was swimming, but when he arrived back to New Zealand his brother-in-law had had a replica made.

Hayden said wearing the ring helped him feel like a part of Rebecca is still here.

After the accident, Hayden phoned his mother and asked her to phone family members and friends. He waited in Fiji with the resort manager until members of his family and Rebecca's family arrived.

Getting back here was hard. It was good to be back and have everyone around but it just made it more real."

Hayden stayed with his mother on his first night back and the next day he went back to the house he and Rebecca had shared.

"Walking through that front door was awful really."

He hasn't been able to face the pile of wedding presents that awaited him and has put them in the untouched bedroom. For now, he prefers to sleep on the couch.

Rebecca's dogs, which were her babies, were a comforting presence, he said.

He said the time in Fiji and immediately after was a blur and he had no idea how he coped, but he credits his family and friends and the support of the town as important.

Hayden first thought that he would never go back to Fiji, but said he may feel the need to on their anniversary.

He said he did not find it hard going out to Rebecca's grave but found it very hard to leave.
"She may just walk around the corner."

Hayden and Rebecca's parents, Heather Richards and Mark Crawley are setting up a fund to promote water safety and increase general safety awareness and in part to make accountable those who caused her death to occur.

The fund is called the Forever 26 fund.
One of the things Hayden would like to see changed after the accident is the enforcement of rules about boats and recreational swimming areas in Fiji resorts.

Hayden said helping do that would be a comfort to him.

Based on a story in the Marlborough Express, 8th January 2008.