'Hero' lauded for bid to save dad

Terrence Beardsmore shared his passion for hunting with his daughter Mercedes. Photo / Supplied

Dazed, cut and bruised, the 8-year-old daughter of a man killed while returning from a hunting trip crawled through their wrecked vehicle and squeezed out of a rear window to summon help.

Mercedes Beardsmore managed to flag down a passing car, but her father, Terrence Walter Beardsmore, 51, of Oxford, died at the scene of the crash about 6.30pm on August 15.

Both avid hunters, Mr Beardsmore and Mercedes were returning with their dogs from a pig hunting trip in the Ashburton area when their Toyota ute crashed through an irrigation ditch and into a tree, near Darfield.

Mercedes was discharged from hospital on Monday and will have to wear a neck brace for six weeks while she recovers from whiplash injuries.

Her grieving mother, Jocelyn, this week praised the brave little girl's courage in attempting to get help for her unconscious father.

"From what I understand, she climbed over the seats and out a tiny window in the back of the Hilux," she said.

"She was absolutely amazing. I don't think there's many adults that could actually do that ... I think she's a hero in everyone's eyes."

Police said Mercedes was wearing a seat belt, but her father wasn't and might have survived had he belted himself in.

Mrs Beardsmore said her husband of 10 years had a passion for hunting that was shared with Mercedes, who trained her own pig dog, 18-month-old Angel, and had competed successfully at the Waiau Pig Hunt.

Father and daughter were heading home after a day out hunting with friends. Mr Beardsmore's dog, 3-year-old Toy, and Angel, were with them when their vehicle left the road. Both animals were recovered uninjured near the crash scene.

"From what I understand from his hunting mates, he and Mercedes had a great day out," Mrs Beardsmore said.

"Mercedes has been talking about being up at 5.30am and that it was a long day."

Mrs Beardsmore said her husband, an engineer, was made redundant from his position as deer stock manager at Glen Wye Station just a week before he was killed.

"He loved working with deer and knew a lot about their breeding."

Mrs Beardsmore said she and her husband had a second daughter, Chance, aged 7, and Mr Beardsmore was a stepfather to Che-Louise, 19, and Sakara, 16. "He doted on his girls. They were the love of his life.

"My husband loved life," she said.

"We were his life. He still had a lot to live for and died way too young."

Mrs Beardsmore said the family were helping her cope with the tragedy.

"We're taking it all a bit slowly and coping as well as we can."

A large crowd of mourners gathered at the Westpark Chapel in Christchurch on Friday to farewell Mr Beardsmore.