Boy's death double blow for grandmother | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

The tragic death of a teenager on New Year's Day has been another cruel blow to his grandmother ? she was the driver of a car which ran over a man near Kaikoura earlier this year.

Dianne Ritchie said she had still not recovered from the trauma of running over former New Brighton surfing identity Chris O'Malley in April when she was told of the death of her 14-year-old grandson James Ritchie, also a surfer, last Saturday.

James, whose family lives in South Brighton, fell from a swing rope at Gore Bay while holidaying at the popular surfing beach.

Coincidentally, James' father, Russ Ritchie, a well-known surfer himself, knew O'Malley.

Yesterday hundreds of surfers from around the region farewelled James off North Beach, where they formed a circle in the water and lit a wreath in the sea.

A funeral service was later held at Aranui High School, where James was a pupil.

Surfers farewelled O'Malley the same way at Kaikoura in April.

Dianne Ritchie, of Avondale, said the family was extremely upset over James' death.

"He (James) was very special. He was outgoing and loved his surfing," she said.

She said she was unable to talk about O'Malley's death.

A coroner's inquest into O'Malley's death will be held in February. A date for James Ritchie's inquest has yet to be set.

Few details are available over the circumstances surrounding O'Malley's death.

Dianne Ritchie and friends were returning to the Puketa motor camp south of Kaikoura when she struck O'Malley about 10pm on April 10. It was reported that he had been lying on the road.

Kaikoura police sergeant Tony Yardley refused to comment on the case when contacted by the Christchurch Star.

Meanwhile, a tearful Russ Ritchie told the Star that his family was devastated by James' death. His son had been playing on the rope swing at the holiday spot when he fell down a bank some 6-10m.

Ritchie said James and a lot of other children at the holiday spot had been playing on the swing for years ? and falling off it ? without injury. James' younger brother Hugh, 11, had fallen off just before James did.

"Kids fell off it all the time but I think James might have been pushing the limits a bit," he said.

The family, including James' mother April, had been at the bay for a week when the accident occurred.

Ritchie said his son was a "pretty lively character" who had a promising future as a surfer, competing in a number of events around the country over the past four years with good results.

And the youngster had only recently taken possession of a custom-made surfboard that he had paid for himself.

"He'd been surfing all his life but took it up seriously in the last four years. When you live at the beach you are the beach," said Ritchie.

"Surfing was his (James') passion. He gave up playing rugby to surf all year round.