By PATRICK GOWER
Stephen Stembridge had just started to live his dream - then his life ebbed away at the helm of the catamaran he had waited all his life to sail.
Now his family will return his ashes to the sea he loved.
Mr Stembridge was taken off life support at Auckland Hospital yesterday afternoon after the dolphin-watch tour boat pioneer suffered a brain haemorrhage and collapsed on Thursday.
First mate Andy Wiseman took the helm of the Dolphin Explorer out in the Hauraki Gulf.
"Everything was looking good and suddenly Steve started to get a bit crook," he said.
"He asked me to go down and get him a couple of Disprin and by the time I came back he had collapsed."
The WestpacTrust rescue helicopter hovered above the catamaran as it winched Mr Stembridge on board and took him to Auckland Hospital. But even the perfect rescue was not enough to save him.
Mr Stembridge, who was 38, founded Auckland's first dolphin-watch tour service three months ago after running a similar operation in the Bay of Islands.
He is survived by his partner, Louise Andrew, their daughter, Bess, 4, and their 7-month-old son, Michael.
Death robs skipper of dream job
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