'That should never happen' - Son of father who died in Wahine wreck 50 years ago still wants answers

April 10, 2018

Trevor Doig was called to Wellington and told to bring blankets for his parents - but that ended up being unnecessary.

The son of a father who died in the Wahine ferry disaster 50 years ago says responsibility for the sinking was never really addressed, and that he still holds a lot of anguish.

Survivors, resucers and relatives gathered in Eastbourne to mark the anniversary, and Trevoir Doig recalled the day he was told to rush to Wellington.

"We drove from Hastings on the advice of the police to bring bedding, blankets and clothing to take our parents home ... of course, unfortunately, that didn't happen," Mr Doig said.

"My dad died at the wreck - he was one of the only three or four that died actually on the wreck itself - mum washed up here at Eastbourne."

Mr Doig said it was still hard not to think about the circumstances of his parents' death, even 50 years on.

Commemorations are underway in Wellington, remembering the 53 people who died in 1968.

"I guess my thoughts are of them, just floundering around in the water, separated, not knowing where their husbands and wives were of 40-odd years," he said.

"I still get very emotional ... I'm trying very hard now, but I still get very emotional when I, at times like this, when I remember what those people and my parents must have gone through, and the death of my father.

"I mean, we all lose our parents eventually, but to lose them in a shipwreck ... no ... that should never happen."

Responsibility for the disaster, which claimed 53 lives, was never fully addressed, Mr Doig said - a fact he and others who were affected by the disaster find hard to deal with.

"I still have a lot of anger at the mistakes that were made that caused it," he said.

"I don't think we've ever really had closure from it because no one was every held accountable ... there were serious mistakes made and yet they just got white washed.

"I think you have to have been through something like maybe Tangiwai, Erebus or the Wahine to actually understand the full impact it has."

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