Motorcycle accident kills father of 14

It was a final chance for two mates to say goodbye. For an hour after Sione Rex died in a motorcycle accident in Mangere, his mates propped him up between them on a riverbank beside the accident scene and cradled his body.

The passenger on the motorcycle, Sione Tupou, sat to the left of Mr Rex and carried on talking to his mate as if he too had survived.

"I was just holding him and talking to him. I just kept on talking to him. I told him he better get up so we can go home because his daughter wanted to see him," said Mr Tupou. "To me he wasn't dead then."

Mr Rex and Mr Tupou were riding a motorbike near Mr Tupou's home when they crashed into a fence in Mangere. Mr Rex, a father of 14, was killed instantly. Despite his own injuries, Mr Tupou tried to help his friend.

Mr Tupou told the Herald on Sunday he had known Mr Rex for longer than he could remember. "He's a really awesome man. Me and him are just like brothers. He used to come around all the time for a drink."

Mr Rex was a passionate motorcyclist and had ridden around the world, including a motorcycle trip from Canada to Mexico.