Drowned truckie 'strong enough to get out if he could'

One of the two Blenheim men who died in a tragic accident in Picton on Friday morning was a strong man who would have escaped the truck if there was any way of doing so, his partner says.

Tom William Phillips and Allan Hedley Tempero died when the two concrete trucks they were in slipped off a barge and plunged to the bottom of the harbour just after 6am.

Described by his neighbour as a big man with a bear-like hug and firm handshake, Mr Phillips was a former police officer who had also served in the army.

"If there had have been any way of getting out of that truck, he would have done it," his partner of 14 years, Sue Taylor, said today.

Mr Phillips, 64, and Ms Taylor moved to Blenheim from Taranaki three years ago for the lifestyle. His job was meant to be a "semi retirement" position, but he loved the work and got involved with the Central Amalgamated Workers' Union as a driver's representative.

Mr Tempero, in his 50s, enjoyed working with his colleagues at Firth Industries, his wife Mary said today.

The couple moved to Marlborough from the North Island five years ago and Mr Tempero had worked as a part-time truckie for most of that time.

He had worked in the trucking industry for nearly 30 years before moving to the South Island and started a full-time job with Firth Industries about nine months ago.

"He slotted in and enjoyed working with the guys. He was really happy there," Mrs Tempero said.

The accident happened as the fully laden Firth Industries trucks were being loaded onto a McManaway Marine barge.

One truck was already aboard and, as the second was being driven on, both fell into the water.

Deputy Harbourmaster Dave Hoskins said one truck started to slip off and somehow got tangled up in the other one and took it with it.

Police said witnesses stood helplessly in the dark, unable to help.

Divers were sent in soon after the accident, but were too late to save the men.

Senior Constable Russell Smith of Blenheim police said today the main investigation into the accident would be done by Maritime New Zealand and Occupational Safety and Health before a coroner's inquiry was held.

Charges were unlikely to be laid as the focus of investigations was commercial practices rather than laying criminal blame.

The trucks were to have been barged from the commercial dock in Picton Harbour to a building site at Dryden Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.

- nzpa