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Julian Bruins Yates, 52, the skipper of Black Cat Cruises, died Friday in a three-vehicle accident on Weka Pass Rd in Hurunui.
On Friday, police said the accident involved three vehicles.
“Julian was a colorful character, he had been part of the Black Cat team for ten years,” Black Cat Cruises CEO Paul Milligan told the Herald.
Milligan said he learned of what happened Friday and his team was devastated.
“It’s a pretty small team, there are definitely a lot of people who are feeling quite difficult at the moment.”
Yates had been the “face and voice” of the company’s Akaroa Harbor Cruise since 2011. Being on the water in the wild was “their happy place,” Milligan said.
He estimated that around 100,000 guests over the past decade had been on a cruise with Yates.
“He was definitely a great personality and someone we will miss very much,” Milligan said.
“Akaroa is a small town and Julian got involved in a lot of things and the whole community feels it.”
Police said investigations into the accident were ongoing.
