The family of a Kiwi couple who tragically died on the island of Vava'u in Tonga are fundraising to bring their bodies back home to their friends and family.
On Tuesday, Tongan police released the names of 47-year-old Ben Rocky Neill and 49-year-old Rochelle Neill whose bodies were discovered by police on April 2.
A formal inquest confirmed the couple died from electrocution and their bodies have been buried immediately after advice from doctors.
A Givealittle fundraising page has been created by Rochelle's cousin, Lisa Williams, on behalf of the family to pay for the costs of bringing the pair's bodies home so they can "rest at peace in their own country".
"After two years of the pandemic decimating their tourist business, getting through the Tongan volcano eruption and being currently in one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, Rochelle and Ben were trying to plan for the future," the post said.
The posts said the couple were repairing their tourist boat in order to sell it and use the money to come home when something went wrong.
"Something went terribly wrong and they died instantly. Sadly due to the lockdown it took a week for their bodies to be discovered by a friend."
The post aims to raise $25,000 to transport the bodies home and pay for funeral expenses, which Williams understands is the lower end of the scale and may end up costing more.
"Due to the remoteness of the Vava'u Islands alongside the recent eruption and current lockdown in Tonga, logistically to get Rochelle and Ben home will be very expensive and so we are please asking for help," the post said.
Tonga and the Vava'u Islands have been in a strict lockdown due to COVID-19 cases in the community.
