Tim Rogers, 24, was passionate about organ donation, and his donation helped save the lives of 10 people.
Video / Jason Oxenham
A young man has died after a freak accident when he fell backwards off a handrail at Auckland's Viaduct Basin.
Tim Rogers, 24, had his life support switched off by his family at Auckland City Hospital. His last act was to have his organs donated to 10 strangers.
"Whoever has his heart will have the biggest heart," his mother Jenny Rogers told the Herald yesterday.
The grieving family want safety improvements at the site where he died.
The young man had been out with two friends at a Waitangi Day concert when he decided to head to the Viaduct afterwards - he had the next day off.
Tim pictured recently with his older siblings Emma, Mike, Dan and Gabrielle. Photo / Supplied
Around 11.30pm, CCTV security footage shows him stopping briefly in front of a barrier.
Tim's family have watched the heartbreaking footage of his fall. They believe he had paused to find a spot to sit down to order an Uber to get home to Mt Wellington.
He failed to get on to the railing the first time, and when he tried to push himself up a second time, he lost his balance and fell backwards before somersaulting and striking his head on a ledge and pontoon below.
Jenny Rogers said she received a late-night call from a nurse in the hospital's emergency department. Hers was the first number that popped up when medics retrieved his phone.
"We were told that he'd been in an accident and had critical injuries," Jenny said.
"We didn't even know what kind of accident it was at that point."
St John paramedics were notified that a person had suffered a fall in Quay St at 11.45pm.
A spokeswoman said two ambulances were sent to the scene and found the victim had suffered critical head injuries. He was taken to hospital just after midnight.
Police have now begun an inquiry into the circumstances of Tim Rogers' death and have referred the matter to the Coroner.
Kerry and Jenny Rogers hold a photograph of their youngest child and son, Tim, who died hours after suffering an accidental fall at Auckland's Viaduct. Photo / Jason Oxenham
At the family home in Martins Bay, photos of a handsome young man stand proudly in the living room and on a large collage upstairs.
Several of them show Tim with his older siblings, twin sisters Emma and Gabrielle and brothers Dan and Mike. It was a tradition that a new photo of the siblings be taken together as a group every Christmas Day.
His girlfriend of two years, Chantelle Pulevaka, has tears in her eyes and offers a sad smile.
The area where Tim Rogers, 24, suffered a fall at Auckland's Viaduct on Waitangi Day. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Mere hours after getting the news their son had been severely injured - and then told there was no chance of saving him - the Rogers family were faced with an overwhelming decision.
Medical staff approached them to ask whether they would consider donating Tim's organs.
"I said no straight away," his mother says.
"He's my baby. He'd already gone through something traumatic, I didn't want him to go through anything more."
It would be his siblings who would eventually convince their mum that this is what their brother would have wanted - as well as a chance conversation with his father just a couple of months ago.
Dad Kerry said: "He made the comment that if you don't donate your organs, you must be a selfish person, because why wouldn't you help someone if you could?"
Tim Rogers, 24, with partner Chantelle Pulevaka. Photo / Supplied
Mum Jenny said she only found out about her son's wishes after the accident.
"It was difficult. I spoke with a kaumātua [at the hospital] about it and they let me know that it was okay.
"As a mother, you don't want that. It's about being protective of his whole and full life."
But Tim's life will go on to affect many others through his donated organs. "Whoever has his heart will have the biggest heart. He was generous, kind, very loving, loved children and was polite," said Jenny.
"He had that kind of relationship with everyone."
Family members hold photos of Tim Rogers, who died after a fall off a railing at the Viaduct on Waitangi Day. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Tim's funeral service alone was a visible testament of the love people had for him, with up to 800 people turning up and a stirring haka being performed.
"It took us two days to find a venue big enough," his father said.
The only venue that could cater for so many people was one where only the likes of All Black great Jonah Lomu have been farewelled - Eden Park.
DON'T WASTE THE DAY
Because of what happened to Tim, the family are calling on authorities to make changes on railing bars down at the Viaduct, to prevent another similar accident.
They believe because the railing was wide and flat, members of the public could think it was a seat and try to sit on it.
Because Tim was so tall - 195cm (6 foot 4 inches) - it would have been like a stool to him.
Tim's whānau, of Ngāi Tahu lineage, have also decided to start a charity in honour of their son and brother.
It will aim to raise awareness of the importance and value of organ donation and with a specific point about offering cultural support and discussion with diverse communities, including Māori, that sometimes find the issue a taboo subject to even talk about.
The charity will be called Don't Waste the Day - based on the last conversation he and his brother Dan had hours before the accident.
