The wife of a swimmer who has died off the coast of a popular Auckland beach has described the heart-wrenching loss of her husband.
Leslie Gelberger had been planning a romantic day with his wife, Laura McLeod, ahead of her 40th birthday. That day went horribly wrong.
Mr Gelberger was a teacher at Auckland's Westlake Girls' High School, and the couple have two boys aged seven and five. The family moved to New Zealand from Canada three years ago.
Ms McLeod says the family is "shattered" by the loss of a "best friend, the best father" and the yin to her yang.
"I have lost my best friend, the best father to my boys and the most amazing, kindest, positive and adventurous person I have ever known. I didn't believe that Hollywood romance was real until I met him. He was the yin to my yang, and I really don't know how we are going to cope without him," she wrote in an email to Newshub.
"We are shattered, but supported by some of the most amazing friends we have made here."
Ms McLeod said her boys are devastated, and are struggling to come to terms with what happened. "He was the world" to the boys, she wrote.
"Leslie was an amazing person who was the epitome of kindness and unrelentingly positivity.
"He befriended strangers wherever he went with a smile and a curious mind. He liked to say that he was a lifelong learner and was always trying out new things but ultimately cautious at heart.
"Aikido, cycling, sailing, skydiving - he tried and became skilled at all."
Ms McLeod says her husband was careful to research every new sport he dove into, even making his children wear safety glasses while setting off fireworks.
"Living in New Zealand, ocean swimming became his latest passion and he was in the water all summer and winter, coming home blue with the cold and a smile on his face," she wrote.
"He found the ocean races another great challenge as although he was an indefatigable swimmer he wasn't fast. He loved having the ocean in his backyard."
Ms McLeod said he loved the New Zealand lifestyle, and had just last weekend taken the boys camping in Whangarei, where they explored the Abbey and Waipu caves.
Maria Mariotti, a friend of the family, said what was meant to be a romantic day for the couple turned into tragedy.
"On Thursday, Leslie and Laura planned to have a day all for themselves, leaving the two boys to one [at] our CK Holiday Programmes," she said.
"Leslie left Laura at home sleeping in, brought the kids to Little Shoal Bay programme and went for a swim at Narrow Neck before a romantic day with Laura."
Mr Gelberger would never return from his swim.
"Yesterday was Laura's 40th birthday. It didn't go like they had planned," Ms Mariotti said.
Now Ms McLeod's friends are rallying around the mother to support her and the boys after the loss of their husband and father - the family's only source of income.
On a Givealittle page, Ms McLeod's friends describe Mr Gelberger as "a much-loved husband, father, friend and teacher at Westlake Girls School. [He] was an avid outdoors man who lived for his family."
"Laura and the boys need financial support during this trying time as Leslie's teaching job was their only source of income. It is hard at times of tragedy to think beyond the pain, however Laura and her boys need ALL YOUR SUPPORT at this time," the page says.
As of midday Sunday, almost 200 people had donated a total of nearly $15,000.
Police are investigating whether a Ports of Auckland boat was involved in Mr Gelberger's death.
Newshub.
