White Island volcano: Sydney man Chris Cozad remembered as ‘most perfect dad’
The daughter of the latest named White Island volcano victim says he was the ‘most perfect dad’. Sydney man Chris Cozad had been celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary when tragedy struck.
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The 16th victim of the New Zealand White Island volcano eruption has been identified as a Sydney father of two and his family has remembered him as the “most perfect dad”.
Chris Cozad, 43, had been celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife Bianca and their two daughters on an Ovation of the Seas cruise.
He chose to tour White Island alone on December 9 before the eruption.
The family have returned to Australia and held a funeral for him in western Sydney on December 22.
“I will forever treasure every second I got to spend with him, the values he has instilled within me and the love he showered me, my sisters and my mum in,” his daughter Emily posted on Facebook.
“He is someone I will forever look up to and he will be so so so missed. He was and forever will be, the most perfect dad
“I hope wherever you are you’ll be proud of everything we do and become. Thank you for being our dad.”
The heartfelt message received an outpouring of support online with friends writing Mr Cozad was an “amazing man”.
A GoFundMe page has been created to support the family. They have set a target of raising $20,000.
“Our friend and colleague Chris Cozad sustained serious injuries as a result of the volcano eruption on White Island in New Zealand's northeastern Bay of Plenty. Unfortunately, whilst fighting hard he sadly passed away early in the evening on Saturday 14 December,” it said.
Almost 100 people have donated raising just over $10,000.
