Fireman battles injuries to attend funeral

A FORMER Northland man seriously injured in the Tamahere coolstore explosion that killed one of his firefighting colleagues is to leave his sick bed today to attend his fallen mate's funeral.
David Beanland, 44, who suffered serious injuries to his face and hands in the Hamilton blast last week, was raised in Tangowahine, between Whangarei and Dargaville, where his parents had a bee farm.
His colleague Derek Lovell suffered severe burns to his body and died in hospital a few hours after the fire at the Icepak coolstores in Tamahere, on the southern outskirts of Hamilton on Saturday.
Mr Beanland had a skin graft on his right hand at Waikato Hospital last weekend and was transferred from the intensive care unit to a ward late on Tuesday.
He spent his youth doing farm cadetship and share-milking in Kaihu, Waiotira, Opuawhanga and Titoki before joining the volunteer fire brigade at Mangatangi, south of Auckland.
His mother-in-law, Colleen Porteous, who lives in Maromaku, said hospital staff would take him in an ambulance to Mr Lovell's funeral today.
"He's quiet today, resting so he's able to go to the funeral tomorrow. David's recovering well," Ms Porteous said yesterday.
"He's talking, wriggling his feet and there's a chance his left hand will have a graft as well."
She said Mr Beanland's colleagues who were recovering in hospital were likely to join him in farewelling Mr Lovell.
Mr Beanland's wife Dianne, a school teacher, was brought up in Tomarata, Wellsford, and once attended Tamahere Model Country School, which is situated beside the razed coolstores.
"They met when David was working at a farm in Kaihu and Dianne was working at a fabric shop in Dargaville, and they got married at the Kaihu Rugby Football Club 24 years ago," Ms Porteous said.
They have two daughters and a son.
Mr Beanland received his training as a professional firefighter in Hawke's Bay, after which he was posted to Hamilton about 10 years ago.
Ms Porteous understood Mr Beanland had been returning to the fire truck to get a spanner when the blast occurred.
Ms Porteous said her daughter had been inundated with calls from well-wishers and she thanked everyone for their assistance and support.
Whangarei chief fire officer Allan Kerrisk met Mr and Mrs Beanland for the first time at Waikato Hospital on Monday.
He said Dianne invited him to see her husband while visiting his good friend Merv Neil, another firefighter injured in the blast.
Mr Kerrisk said there were some firefighters in Hamilton with whom he had worked closely before moving Northland.
"He (David) wasn't talking when I saw him ... just fluttering his eyes. His responses were from eye movement," Mr Kerrisk said.
A three-member delegation from the Northland Fire Region will attend Mr Lovell's funeral today.