A rental car company owner is standing by his decision to bill the parents of two men killed in the Fox Glacier ice fall for towing their hire car back to Wellington, in the face of criticism on both sides of the Tasman.
New Zealand Car Rental Specialists owner Edwin Chan said the family should pay for the car to be towed back to Wellington, after the keys were buried with one of the brothers beneath tonnes of ice.
He also criticised the men for costing the government thousands of dollars for the search and recovery mission, and said their actions contributed to their deaths.
Akshay Miranda, 22, had the keys to the Toyota Tarago in his pocket when he and his brother, Ashish, 24, were crushed to death at Fox Glacier last Thursday.
Ashish Miranda's body was recovered later the same day but the body of Akshay Miranda is still missing.
The cost for the new keys and towing could be up to $1950.
Mr Chan told NZPA today that the company has "already waived all the other expenses", including the late return of the car.
He said the company would not write off the costs as a gesture of goodwill, saying that other people, such as the tow company, would charge his company.
"Somebody's not making money" if the cost is written off, he said.
He told Australia's Herald Sun newspaper that he does have compassion for the family but that he cannot be expected to pay.
"We have a business and we have to pay the bills. No one will say to me you do not have to pay the bills. They can't use emotional blackmail." Mr Chan questioned why Ashkay had the rental car keys in his pocket when only his father and cousin had permission to drive the car.
His comments have made him unpopular on both sides of the Tasman, with the Herald Sun referring to Mr Chan has a "heartless Kiwi".
Comments on the Herald Sun's story online were split down the middle, with some calling for a boycott of the car rental company and wishing a "tragic death" of Mr Chan and his family, and others who supported Mr Chan's view.
Constable Paul Gurney of Whataroa police contacted the car rental company to voice his opinion on the charge and to urge some compassion for the family.
The family was in too much shock to think about the rental car, he said.
The Mirandas were expected to return to Australia within days with the body of Ashish.
Authorities may wait for the ice to melt before they retrieve Akshay's body.
