'You've lost a New Zealand gem'

By SCOTT INGLIS

On Monday, New Zealander Alan Beaven celebrated his eighth wedding anniversary with his wife, Kimi.

They had a meal, spent time together and professed their love for each other at their New York home.

But just over 10 hours after that special day, Mr Beaven was snatched from his family when the hijacked plane he was on crashed, killing all on board.

Mr Beaven, a 48-year-old lawyer educated at Auckland University, is the first New Zealander to be confirmed as dying in the worst terrorist attack in the United States. Officials are trying to contact at least one other New Zealander.

The father-of-three was one of 45 people on board United Airlines Flight 93, which took off from Newark on Tuesday morning (New York time), bound for San Francisco.

Terrorists took over the Boeing 757, probably with the aim of crashing it into the White House or another significant target, such as Camp David. Instead, it appears passengers fought back and the jet crashed in a wooded area near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As the US shuddered in the aftermath, the family and friends of Mr Beaven paid tribute to him.

His wife, 34-year-old Kimi, told the Herald: "You've lost a gem of New Zealand. He loved you all so much."

Mrs Beaven said her husband, who still had his New Zealand passport, had always wanted to bring his family to see his homeland.

"He's always wanted to bring us there. He was just the most incredible man in the world," she said.

"He loved his children and it was a blessing to have known him. I'm going to cry now."

The day before her husband took the fateful flight, the couple had celebrated being married eight years.

She is happy they managed to have that day and has memories she will treasure forever.

Mr Beaven worked for Berman DeValerio Pease Tabacco Burt and Pucillo, where he was a leading environment lawyer, representing various groups in high-profile cases in California.

Mr Beaven met his first wife, Elizabeth, at Auckland University and the pair travelled overseas in 1976, two years after he graduated with honours. They had two sons, John and Chris.

The couple parted on friendly terms in 1986 and Mr Beaven then met Kimi. He has elderly parents in Australia and a brother, Ralph, in New Zealand.

Mr Beaven had a diverse legal career, which included stints as a law professor at King's College in London, as a criminal defence attorney and prosecutor in Britain, plus postings in other countries.

He had long practised meditation and Siddha yoga and was active in the SYDA Foundation, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to humanitarian and spiritual work.

He had been in San Francisco and had started a year's sabbatical, living with Kimi and five-year-old daughter Sonali in New York. They were considering going to India to do volunteer work for SYDA.

On the morning he died, Mr Beaven was heading to San Francisco to try one last case - a water pollution hearing.

It has emerged there was heroism on Flight 93, with a group of passengers hatching a plan to defy the terrorists.

Passenger Jeremy Glick called his wife, telling her they were going to stop the hijackers but knew that doing so would end all their lives.

The FBI is unable to confirm details of any action but those who know Mr Beaven say it was in his character to save lives.

A friend of 22 years, Dr Richard Gillett, said: "He must've been in there ... he was a guy of incredible courage.

"He took on environmental court cases in California that other people wouldn't have touched. He was willing to go against the odds."

And Mr Beaven's former wife, Elizabeth, said: "He had a lot of enthusiasm for life, not a lot of fear, a lot of courage.

"If there was anything happening, I'm quite certain he would have been at the front of it.

"That would have absolutely fitted who he is."

Full coverage: Terror in America

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The fatal flights

Emergency telephone numbers for friends and family of victims and survivors

These numbers are valid for calls from within New Zealand, but may be overloaded at the moment.

United Airlines: 0168 1800 932 8555

American Airlines: 0168 1800 245 0999

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 0800 872 111

US Embassy in Wellington (recorded info): 04 472 2068

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Air New Zealand flights affected

Air NZ flight information: 0800 737-000.