Rotorua's Kevin Page says he can deal with most things.
That was until yesterday when he heard two of his mates and the son of another mate are among the 29 miners who have died in the Pike River mine.
"It's just absolutely devastating. I sat there and I used to think I was a hard man but I'm absolutely choked."
Mr Page, who spent 11 years in Runanga, leaving when he was 23, knew two of the 29 dead miners, Peter O' Neill and Allan Dixon. Mr Page also knew Marty Palmer, the father of another of the miners Brendon Palmer.
Mr Page, who is a former reporter for The Daily Post, said he went to school with Mr Dixon's sister and as far as he knew Mr Dixon had only been back working in the mine for a month.
"He taught me bushcraft when I was a kid ... I'm devastated for Mrs Dixon. She is my Mum's best friend.
"She is 79 and she is on her own. She has got those amazing boys and Allan was the oldest."
Mr Page said his mother Anne had just left Rotorua yesterday to fly back to Christchurch and Mr Page said he would have to call her to tell her the news.
"Mum will be straight down to the West Coast."
Mr O'Neill was a top rugby league player and was in the rugby league team in Runanga when Mr Page lived there. Mr O'Neill used to run on the beach, and Mr Page recalls as a teenager Mr O'Neill running up alongside him.
"These guys to me were super stars."
Mr Page said he played soccer with Mr Palmer's father Marty.
He said he was shocked by what had happened.
"Personally I didn't think they were alive from day one. It's an unforgiving environment."
Mr Page said he believed this tragedy would "rip the guts" out of the West Coast, but they would cope with the tragedy.
"They are so tight knit. This is what will get them through. The thing with Runanga is everybody knows everybody."
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