Hunter Valley bus crash: ‘Adored’ children, parents victim to bus tragedy

‘Adored’ children, parents victims are the victims of a Hunter Valley bus crash.

The bus lies on its side after the crash. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“Just a good kid” is how Steve ­Symons sums up his son Kane, one of 10 people presumed dead in the Hunter Valley bus crash.

Steve pauses. The task of ­capturing the essence of his 21-year-old son, who loved life so much, is huge.

“There was a cheeky aspect to him. He loved a good time. But he was respectful. He was someone who enjoyed life. He loved a challenge. He loved to be able to do stuff. He loved his friends. He was just a good kid,” Steve says.

The previous 24 hours had been “devastating”. Steve lives in Tasmania with wife Sarnia and daughter Jamie, and first saw news of the bus crash on the TV before starting to piece things together and make phone calls.

The last time he heard from his son was when Kane was on his way to join the bus to the Gaffney-­Edsell wedding in Lovedale. They didn’t talk about anything in particular, just made chitchat.

“You don’t ever think this sort of stuff will happen to you,” he says.

Kane Symons. Picture: Facebook

Now they are living minute-to-minute as they await more information from police. “We’re in their hands,” he says.

Kane, an apprentice electrician, moved to Singleton for work. There he met his girlfriend, Kyah McBride, who was also unaccounted for in the crash, through the Singleton Roosters AFC. It was at the football club he also met many of his mates.

Kane and Kyah had plans to travel overseas at the end of the year when he finished his apprenticeship. Kane loved sports. He was known as “superman” in the surf lifesaving community, not only because he was a good athlete who competed at the highest level, but because he was “a leader, a great bloke and a mate to many”, Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club in ­Tasmania wrote in a tribute on ­social media.

Kyah McBride from Singleton. Picture: Supplied

“We adored him and he will be truly missed,” the club wrote.

Kyah’s mother Nadene – the Singleton Roosters club president and coach of the senior women’s side – is also unaccounted for. Her husband Graham “Banger” McBride is reportedly in hospital.

A statement from the McBride family said “there are no words to describe the grief our family is feeling at this time” and asked for privacy as they “processed this tragedy as a family unit”.

Others unaccounted for and connected to the Roosters club were Tori Cowburn, Angus Craig and Zach Bray. Bride and groom Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney, who were not on the bus, were also part of the football club.

Kyah and Nadene McBride. Picture: Sydney Women's AFL Masters

Project engineer Zach had trained to become a commercial helicopter pilot, describing it on ­social media “as a bucket list thing that I’m just going to get done”.

Phil Unicomb, owner of a flight school in Pokolbin where Zach learnt to fly described him as “quite sharp, easy to teach, a very nice young fellow”.

Zach Bray. Picture: Supplied

“People always say nice things when people die, but I really mean all that. If he were standing here in front of me, I’d say it … He was good company, a very pleasant, happy young man,” Phil says.

Zach battled bowel cancer for a number of years ago, something he chronicled on social media.

Singleton husband and wife ­Andrew and Lynan Scott, also presumed dead in the crash, reportedly left behind two young children. Andrew worked as a physiotherapist and Lynan was employed as a superintendent at coal mining company Yancoal Australia, where groom Mitchell also works.

Andrew and Lynan Scott pictured on their Facebook account.

Andrew’s former football club in Queensland, the Redland-Victoria Point Sharks, said he was “characterised by his big heart and (his) willingness to help anyone”.

Another victim is Bec Mullen, a junior doctor with Hunter New ­England Local Health District. She was set to marry Sam Howard, who also attended the wedding, after they were engaged last year.

Forensic accountant Darcy Bulman from Melbourne, was identified as the 10th victim. It is believed she attended the wedding with her partner Nick Dinakis.