Boat tragedy ends New Zealand family's world tour dream

A New Zealand family is returning home by air after a boat capsized off the coast of Cox’s Bazar, killing their 16-year-old son and ending their dream of travelling around the world by sea.

John Edward Puddon, his wife Bella and their younger son Ralph are scheduled to leave for New Zealand on Friday (October 9), after spending nearly one and a half months in Cox’s Bazar.

The family’s boat, Island Girl, capsized near the mouth of the Maheshkhali Channel around 9:30am on August 25 amid high waves and strong currents. Local fishermen rescued John, Bella and Ralph, but their elder son Albert went missing.

His body was recovered from the Samitipara coast the following afternoon.

John had come to Bangladesh in 2024 and had the boat built in Cox’s Bazar with the help of local craftsmen. The vessel, reportedly built at a cost of at least Tk 1 crore over nearly two years, was equipped for long sea voyages.

Following the accident, the three survivors stayed at Motel Shaibal under the supervision of the Cox’s Bazar district administration.

Additional District Magistrate Tasnim Jahan said arrangements for their return had been completed with assistance from the New Zealand embassy in Sri Lanka, as the country has no embassy in Bangladesh. The family had lost passports and other documents in the accident.

Coast Guard officials said the family had previously faced trouble at sea. In April, their boat was damaged in rough weather near the Maheshkhali Channel, and they were later attacked and robbed while sheltering on Sonadia Island. The Coast Guard rescued them on April 10, and the boat was subsequently repaired.

The damaged Island Girl remains submerged in the Bakkhali River, a reminder of the family's unfulfilled dream of exploring the world together.

-AJM