A box containing human ashes found in a rental property in Christchurch by the new tenant on November 17. Photo / Supplied
A family has been reunited with their loved one’s ashes after a Christchurch tenant stumbled across them in her garden shed.
Knox, 24, told the Herald she had been in her new Burwood rental for just a week when she found a peculiar-looking box in the garden shed.
“I saw this big blue box, I tried to convince myself it was something else like ready-made plaster or something but when I saw the name on it I knew something wasn’t quite right,” said Knox.
The box said it came from the Salisbury Park Crematorium and contained cremated human remains.
“I never would have expected to find human remains in my garden shed, it was just wild,” she said.
The ashes belong to a 77-year-old man who died seven years ago.
“Who knows how long he has been in there,” Knox said.
With the little information she had, Knox immediately started work to track down the family. First, she tried her landlord - to see if the ashes belonged to the previous tenants. They had no idea whose they were, she said.
She then called the funeral company, who put her in contact with a brother.
“When I tried the number though, it was disconnected,” she said.
“I contacted the police, they didn’t know, so I posted on Facebook, I started telling everybody,” she said.
“I knew I had to track his family down, this poor person had been in my shed for God knows how long.”
Two days later, his great-granddaughter got in touch.
“I was so relieved when she reached out, I just couldn’t believe it,” said Knox.
The family will be reunited with their loved one’s ashes in the coming days.
Katie Oliver is a Christchurch-based multimedia journalist and breaking news reporter.
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.