Inside the Viaduct Christmas party tragedy

Darren Grace with his 'little co-pilot' Chantelle. Photo / Supplied

The final hours of Darren Grace's life are proving the greatest mystery to those he left behind.

Darren has been described to the Herald on Sunday as someone who left every party with a clutch of new friends, after making the night better for his presence.

On the night the 40-year-old died though, his behaviour was out of sorts.

In the few hours between the launch Quest II leaving then returning to Auckland's Viaduct Harbour, the 45 people at the Christmas party for toilet products company Pacific Hygiene Limited saw a different side to Darren Grace.

Parents Mike and Lynn Grace, of Cockle Bay in Auckland, were woken the Friday before Christmas with news of their son's death.

Darren's partner Claire Tynan, who has worked at Pacific Hygiene for eight months, rang his parents at 10.50pm, just over an hour after Quest II returned to the Viaduct carrying their son's body.

The couple were roused from sleep, with Lynn Grace answering the phone. A distraught Tynan told her: "You've got to come down to the Viaduct. Darren's dead."

Their only son's daughter Chantelle was staying with the couple that night. Now awake, but confused and worried, they took Chantelle to stay with a family member and travelled to the Viaduct. There, they found police inspecting Quest II, the boat their son had talked excitedly about earlier that day.

In the week that followed, the Graces received dozens of condolence cards and calls from the many people who were part of their lives, and Darren's.

The sentiments were echoed at the funeral service last Wednesday, held at the Manukau Memorial Gardens.

Grace was generous and exuberant. He would help anyone who needed it. He judged no one, and would find friends where ever he could. On entering a room of strangers, Darren would leave with firm friends.

"That's why it's so hard to understand what went wrong, said Mike Grace. "We're keeping a completely open mind and we're not laying blame on anybody. We're not very happy about the fact it's gone to a homicide inquiry. That's the last thing we want as parents."

The Graces have been told one person has become a focus in their son's death. "I know the name of the guy and I feel very sorry for him. He'll be having a terrible Christmas," said Mike.

Darren Grace was farewelled by more than 300 people, including the detective investigating his death and the boss of the company at whose Christmas party he died.

Rodney Downs, of Pacific Hygiene Limited, rang the Graces the day before the funeral to express his condolences and ask if it would be appropriate for him to attend.

The day after the death, he had told the Herald on Sunday that Darren was "acting a bit funny so ... we quietened him down. He sat down in the lounge upstairs and then suddenly - bang".

The award-winning toilet hygiene products company is based in Albany, in a newly created commercial subdivision. The party was intended to be a way of thanking those who had worked to help the company become successful.

Some among the 45 people aboard have talked of Darren behaving erratically about 90 minutes after the 22m launch left the harbour.

They had not met him before, but found his sense of humour, usually such an asset in social situations, strangely off-colour.

His behaviour allegedly deteriorated to the point that he needed to be removed from the main party area to the open deck above. The skipper, named by Quest II owner Gary McNabb as Wayne Mason, had a key role in making the decision.

McNabb said he knew little about what happened other than "there was an altercation and the guy had to be restrained".

Downs said there were no more than three people present at the time.

The cause of death was later stated as asphyxiation. Darren died because he could not breathe, even though a trauma nurse on the yacht tried all she could to save him.

The reason for his erratic behaviour is likely to be as much a focus of police interest as the way he died. Officers investigating the case are saying little, although detective senior sergeant Kevin Hooper said last week there was no suggestion of illicit substances.

Those who attended Darren's funeral were an eclectic group, reinforcing tales in the eulogies of how Darren made friends with all kinds of people. "He was a great guy," said Mike Grace later. "He had mates who came from all walks of life."

Friends from school, rugby and work in the construction industry mingled; sitting quietly at the rear of the service was one mourner wearing the patch of the Headhunters gang.

His mother Lynn commented that he never categorised anybody.

Born in April 1969, Darren went to Macleans College, leaving to take up an electrical apprenticeship, then carpentry and become the third generation of Graces to go into the industry.

Darren had a determination to help everyone and that regard was repaid by his friends last week, when they pitched in to complete renovations for an elderly man for whom Darren had been working.

Mike Grace visited the site thinking he might do the job, but found almost a dozen of his son's mates completing the job.

Darren's final Christmas present for his mum also found its way to her through his network of friends.

Darren had talked excitedly about the French-style plant holder he had found for Lynn, which he had stored at a friend's home.

His effusive nature caused his parents a little concern but, more often, pleasure and pride. He lived quickly and embraced every moment he could.

Among the mourners was Chantelle, 10, a child of a previous relationship, who was born with Down's syndrome.

Darren was "besotted with her". She was his "co-pilot", driving off with her dad in the same car now sitting in his parents' driveway, covered with a tarpaulin.

The car needs to be covered: when it was first removed from Darren's home after his death and parked outside his parents' house, Chantelle leaped up saying "Daddy's here".

Now, though, she understands. "Daddy's dead," she said. "Daddy's with Michael Jackson and the angels."

The festive cards in the family home have been replaced with condolence cards.

One carries a quote the Graces say captures their son. "Life is an adventure that ends skidding in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, totally worn out screaming 'yeeha, what a ride'."

Mike Grace: "The shame of it is that he should be burying me. You shouldn't be burying your kids."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY, ADDITIONAL REPORTING: Carolyne Meng-Yee