Jacob Tihema went to the Utuhina Stream almost every day to walk his dog or fish for trout.
Yesterday, his favourite pastime cost him his life.
While driving on a reserve near the stream edge, Mr Tihema's vehicle rolled down a bank and landed in the water. Both Mr Tihema, 52, and his dog, Whero, died. Henry Mahia, who lives behind Mataatua Marae off Pukuatua St, was carrying lawn clippings to the stream's bank just before midday yesterday when he noticed the car upside down in the stream. "I didn't know anyone was inside," he told the Daily Post.
He immediately called police.
Senior Sergeant Ed Van Den Broek said seven officers dived in and rolled the car up the right way before pulling Mr Tihema's body to the bank. They tried to resuscitate him, but it was too late.
Mr Van Den Broek said it appeared from tyre marks in the grass that Mr Tihema had tried to do a u-turn on the reserve but misjudged the tightness of the corner and accidentally rolled down the bank. It was thought he he had gone to the reserve some time between 9am and midday. Along with some of Mr Tihema's family members, Mataatua Marae elder Tawari Kameta yesterday blessed the stream.
Brother-in-law Brian Tonihi said Mr Tihema, or Jake as he was known, and his dog were inseparable.
"If we had to take a drive anywhere, you always had to make room for the dog."
Mr Tihema, who worked as a labourer for Allied Workforce, had been on a sickness benefit recently because of asthma.
Mr Tonihi said he found it hard to believe Mr Tihema had made a mistake driving and that he could not get himself or his dog out of the car. He wondered whether he had had another asthma attack shortly before losing control of the car.
"He's got a strong mind and is pretty fit."
One of seven brothers and five sisters, Mr Tihema was born in Whakatane and raised in Rotorua. He lived with his mother, didn't have children and never married. His youngest brother, Riki Tihema, also had a gut feeling the accident was related to his asthma illness.
A post mortem was to be carried out on his body to determine his cause of death. The matter would be referred to the coroner.
Man and his dog die in stream tragedy
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