Mountaineer Bruce (48) fell down some steps and suffered a fatal head injury which claimed his life 11 days later. He had been a member of the Mt Egmont Alpine Club in the early 80's, holding the position of club captain and had been president for four years. He was also involved in the Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue Team and held the position of chairman. His specialised training saw him help during the Manawatu floods in 2008, in Australia after the 2010 bush fires in Victoria and, more recently, in the 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquake recovery effort.