-
Four people have been killed in a crash in the central North Island. - Source: ONE News -
Related
The sole survivor of a car accident which killed four Argentinean tourists is heading back to Chile.
Benjamin Blake, 25, from Chile was today discharged from Waikato Hospital and is returning home with his father Eric and girlfriend Macarena.
Blake suffered a broken left leg, two broken bones in his left forearm, two broken ribs and grazes on his body after the car he was in crashed on State Highway 4 between Ohakune and National Park, just south of Erua, last month.
Agustin Donofrio, 25, German Caceres, 35, Nicolas Ursic, 27, and Luciano Pucheta, 19, died in the accident.
Eric Blake arrived in New Zealand three days after the crash and said that his son's survival was a miracle.
Today he released a statement thanking everyone involved in his son's rescue.
He said he was thankful to everyone who offered the group a job and to the friends they made.
"Thank you to all the friends they made during this time: New Zealanders, Irish, Spanish, Australians, Chileans, and of course, Argentinians."
Blake and his friends had just played a game of indoor soccer in Ohakune and were returning to their backpacker accommodation in National Park, when their station wagon collided with a truck as it was overtaking another vehicle.
Eric Blake today thanked the soccer team "that played that last soccer game against my son Benjamin's team and his friends Agustin, German, Nicolas and Luciano, and shared with them their last joyful moments".
He also thanked everyone involved in his son's recovery.
"I have to end this thankfulness letter, but my family and I, will never end in our hearts of saying thank you to you all, who were part of Benjamin and Macarena's stay in New Zeland and the returning to life of my son Benjamin."