A woman who recently arrived in New Zealand has been left without family or financial support after her husband was killed by a falling tree branch.
Paradeep Singh, known to those close to him as Deep, died while carrying out yard work at the couple's Cambridge property yesterday.
He was working outside with others on a day off, doing general maintenance when the accident happened.
"A branch hit him on the left side of his head, and it must have done some internal damage," a spokesperson for the couple’s friends and family told 1News.
Others nearby ran to help after hearing Paradeep yell and called an ambulance, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
St John confirmed it had responded yesterday with a rapid response unit and an operations manager.
Sole income earner
After coming to New Zealand three years ago, Paradeep was the sole income earner for the couple and also supported his elderly parents back in India, including his paralysed mother.
His wife Kamal had only recently arrived in New Zealand, moving here for her husband before they married about six months ago. She has no immediate family in New Zealand, with both her and Paradeep’s relatives based in India.
"She came here for him," the spokesperson said. "She has no income source, no money, she hasn't even from my understanding opened a bank account yet."
The couple had been planning to apply for residency and to later return to India for a larger wedding celebration with family.
"Their married life had only just begun. Kamal had barely had the time to make memories with her husband before her future was suddenly taken away."
Friends of the couple have created a Givealittle page to assist Kamal in returning Deep's body to India for funeral rites and to support his family.
"His family is facing unimaginable grief and urgently needs support."
The spokesperson said neighbours and others who witnessed the aftermath stepped in to help, with support from the local community growing in the hours after the incident.
“We’re very fortunate to have people here supporting her through this.”
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