Christmas Day ended in tragedy for the family of Varun Chand who died while out canoeing in a Christchurch lake.
The father of three was there with his children enjoying the canoe he had only picked up on Christmas morning.
Chand's younger brother, Visal Chand, spoke exclusively with Newshub saying there are "just no words to express our feelings".
Police divers prepared to recover Chand's body the morning after he fell into the water from his canoe.
The family watched from the lakeside as his body was returned to land.
A short time later the family was allowed behind strategically parked police vehicles to identify the body.
"The reverend has blessed the body as well and blessed the soul that has departed among us," said Visal.
Chand and one of his children were in the canoe when it capsized just before 7pm on Christmas Day.
The child was rescued but Chand failed to resurface.
Chand bought the yellow two-seater canoe on Facebook Marketplace and picked it up on Christmas morning. He then came to the lake with his three children to try out their new present.
"He called me on my messenger and he was very excited and he was very happy," Visal said.
The wider family came to support Visal and his father last night and returned first thing this morning.
"It gives me strength and my father strength so we can face this together."
They're dealing with grief together again. Another brother, Avinash, was killed in a car crash near Ashburton in June last year.
"This is like ah the second brother my family, I have lost and my dad has lost his second son."
Varun's yellow canoe is now a symbol of yet another heartbreaking loss.
It's understood life jackets were with Varun and his children but it's not known who or if anyone was wearing them.
Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Daniel Gerrard said summer is notorious for deaths on our water.
"Always wear a life jacket, always go with a buddy someone there to be there with you if things do go wrong."
That advice was echoed by the Chand family.
"You can actually save someone's life and you don't have to be standing here as I'm standing in front of you today and crying over the loss," Visal said.
A Givealittle page has been set up to support Varun's three children and wife who he leaves behind after a Christmas Day tragedy.
