A New Zealand car rental company who originally wanted the parents of two men killed in an ice collapse to pay for transporting the rental car backed down on threats, according to the Herald Sun.

Even though the keys were buried with the dead sons under 100 tons of ice, rental car company NZRCS was determined to get its money back. However, after the NZRCS director Edwin Chan received negative feedback from the prime minister and local police and a victim support group, Chan conceded.

Ronnie and Winnie Miranda’s sons Ashish, 24, and Akshay, 22, died Jan. 8.

Chan said the company had to recoup about $800 for the car to be transported, and hundreds of dollars for a new transponder key to electronically unlock the car.

“Nobody will do it for free,” said Chan. “It’s always unfortunate. We feel for them. If there are things that are going to cost the company, we have no choice but to recover the costs. They should ... travel with insurance. It’s not up to us as a company to pay for the costs.”

Chan also questioned why Akshay Miranda had the rental car keys in his pocket when he was not permitted to drive the vehicle, saying the keys should be in the parents’ pockets.

The tragedy occurred when the two men crossed safety barriers to get a closer look at the Fox Glacier, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Ashish’s body has been recovered, but the dangerous conditions mean the prospects of finding Akshay soon are slim.

0 Comments