Brendon (39) died when he came in into contact with a fallen powerline on his farm Quail Downs, near Kaikoura. The tragedy left Brendon dead and his wife unconscious when she tried to help him and the efforts of the couples children to raise the alarm was commendable. The nine year old daughter and her younger brother, seven, rang their grandmother in Queenstown, who in turn called emergency services. When emergency services rang the farm, the nine year old kept calm and did a "great job" answering the questions that were asked of her. The children's mother recieved burns to her hands and feet.