A New Zealand family that came to Cox’s Bazar with dreams of sailing around the world is returning home by air after losing their eldest son in a boat accident.
John Edward Pudney planned to sail around the world with his wife, Bella, and their two sons, Albert and Ralph. To make the journey possible, he had a specially designed vessel, Island Girl, built in Cox’s Bazar.
The family planned to visit different countries aboard their own boat before eventually returning to New Zealand.
But the dream journey ended in tragedy on August 25, when Island Girl sank amid large waves and strong currents near the mouth of the Maheshkhali Channel, between the Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar coasts.
All four family members fell into the sea.
Local fishermen rescued John Edward, Bella, and their younger son, Ralph.
Their 16-year-old eldest son, Albert, went missing. His body was recovered from the Samitipara coast the following day.
After spending around a month and a half in Cox’s Bazar, John Edward, Bella and Ralph are scheduled to leave for New Zealand on Friday, October 9.
Instead of returning home by the sea route they had dreamed of, they must now travel by air, carrying the grief of losing a child.
The family’s journey to Cox’s Bazar began in 2024, when John Edward arrived in Bangladesh on a tourist visa.
He chose the coastal town as his base to explore the world by sea with his family.
With help from local artisans, they began constructing Island Girl in the SM Para area of Cox’s Bazar town.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Collected
