The Howick College student who died while on a 1st XV rugby trip to England fell to his death while sleepwalking, it emerged yesterday as the teenager was laid to rest.
Ross Kimpton, 17, was farewelled at an emotional two-hour service attended by hundreds of family and friendsin the rural Auckland area of Brookby. He died last month while on a rugby trip after falling 25-30m from a London hotel.
Immediately after the service, the officer leading the inquiry into Ross' death, Detective Inspector Dave Cavanagh of the London Metropolitan Police, spoke out to end speculation about the accident.
Cavanagh said he had taken the unusual step of flying to New Zealand to personally end speculation and "drunken party" rumours about the tragedy, and to support the teen's devastated family.
"It can be said that this was a tragic case of sleepwalking ... It was not a fall after a drunken party," said Cavanagh.
"I cannot stress that enough. We want to put to bed all those rumours."
They were sentiments that were also echoed by Ross' father, Murray Kimpton.
Speaking from the family farmhouse shortly after burying the son he described as "a fine and strong young man", dairy farmer Kimpton said some media reports of his son's tragic accident had been hurtful. "They were misleading to say the least."
The death didn't occur in a drunken stupor, and wasn't the result of a prank gone wrong, he said.
He and his wife Teresa were coping "as well as can be expected".
Ross' younger siblings Anita and Craig, were "getting there," said Kimpton, surrounded by loved ones at the farm his son adored. "We just want to thank the police and everyone involved for their support."
Earlier, at the service held at Ti Papa Equestrian Centre, just down the road from the family's farm, Kimpton spoke of a son who "could turn a dull day into a bright day with his smile and sense of humour".
"He had a great respect for nature, loved animals and loved the farm. He was so talented with so much potential, innovative, a perfectionist.
"We will never understand why his time with us was so short, and we will love him forever."
