‘Full of life’: Family remembers 8-year-old son who died after escaping school van

Sunday, 31 May 2026

An eight-year-old boy who died this week after leaving a van transporting him home from his special needs school has been remembered by his family as a happy, energetic child who loved exploring the world around him.

Gurshabad Singh was found dead at a private residence in West Auckland, after he was able to exit the Ritchies Transport-operated van before he reached his home on Monday afternoon.

His parents, who spoke to Stuff on Sunday morning, described him as curious, affectionate and always close by their side.

“He was a very happy child, full of life, energetic, curious, loved outdoors, jumping, climbing, giggling all the time,” said his mother, who wished to remain anonymous.

His mother said keeping Gurshabad safe was central to their daily lives.

“He was always behind me all the time. We kept him so safe in our house because we got all the latches, safety locks on the windows and all.”

The boy’s mother said the family was still searching for answers about what had happened.

‘Your child is missing’

The family’s heartbreak began on Monday afternoon, when the boy’s mother said police called to say he was missing.

The family immediately headed out to help search for him.

The mother said police later stopped them near his school and told them officers and a helicopter were also searching.

A short time later, they were told Gurshabad had been found.

“We were quite relieved that they at least found him,” she said.

But the relief quickly turned to heartbreak.

“The officer came and he told us that he died in [a] pool.”

‘How can he escape?’

The family said they are still struggling to understand how the tragedy occurred. Among the questions weighing heavily on them is how their son was able to leave the vehicle.

The boy’s mother said he travelled in a specialist car seat and was usually secured using multiple restraints.

“We just want to know what exactly happened… how can he escape from the van?”

A police spokesperson said officers were making inquiries on behalf of the Coroner, but could not comment further while the coronial process was under way.

Ritchies was also contacted by Stuff. In a statement, the company said it could not comment while investigations were underway.

WorkSafe confirmed it was aware of the incident but had not yet launched an investigation.

“What we can say is that work-related transport must be planned and managed so that risks are identified and controlled. This includes ensuring systems are in place to keep people safe when getting on and off vehicles, and that vulnerable people – including children – are properly accounted for,” said Brad Duggan, WorkSafe’s northern regional manager.

“Where there are work activities involved, we expect those responsible to take all reasonable steps to prevent harm. Failures in these systems can have devastating consequences. WorkSafe will take appropriate action once we have established the facts.”

Duggan said WorkSafe was making inquiries to understand the circumstances of what had happened to determine next steps.

“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and school community at this incredibly difficult time.”