Samuel Finnemore, 19, died in the early hours on November 1 when he accidentally fell through his bedroom window at Matipo St in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton.
In their first interview at their Devonport home in Auckland, Sam’s parents Lisa and Cameron opened up about their son, who had “the sweetest heart”, and everyone loved.
“We got the horrible knock on the door at 6am that no parent wants to get,” Lisa told the Herald on Sunday.
“It is very difficult to understand how this happened given our son had the agility of a cat. I thought this can’t be true; how can this happen to us? But this does happen and when the police come to your door and say your son’s died, you know there is no mistake.”
“Sam got up in the night around 4am and for some reason fell through the first-floor bay window, and we don’t know why. He wasn’t a sleepwalker and we believe there was nothing untoward - it was a tragic accident. It was a very hot night in Christchurch and we think he might have taken his bedclothes off and tripped on them,” his mum said.
An autopsy was completed last week and police said they were continuing to treat the circumstances of the teenager’s death as unexplained.
Sam, a “precious IVF child”, was born in London but moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was a child, first to Wellington and then Auckland, before moving to Christchurch to attend the University of Canterbury.
He was farewelled at St Andrew’s College Centennial Chapel in Christchurch on Wednesday.
To celebrate his birthday after his death, a group of his friends went to the beach with cheesecake - his favourite - and watched the sun set then let off fireworks in honour of him.
“He worked harder than the average student because he had dyslexia. But he was an action man. He loved the outdoors, snowboarding, fishing, running, swimming and going to the beach. He lived his life to the absolute fullest and we poured everything into.”
His father, Cameron, wanted to thank Sam’s teachers at Kristin school, the Wanaka community and the University of Canterbury for all their support and helping Sam to grow and develop.
“We want to thank everyone for their support including both our workplaces. Sammy’s flatmates and the students from the University are the best of humanity, we have never felt such an outpouring of love and compassion. They have been so amazing, they are giving Sammy a diploma. The Wanaka community is planting a memorial forest for Sammy at the entrance to the ski field where he drove past.”
The parents want something good to come out of Sam’s death and have set up a Givealittle page so a child can pursue their dream of becoming a world-class athlete.
“I miss Sammy’s spontaneity, his smile and his love of life,” Cameron said.
“I think Sam would want us to live a good life and help others. He would want Lisa and I to go on but it’s a hard road to walk and we are only at the beginning of it.”
Lisa is crushed her son will never walk through their front door again and she has a message for mothers: “As a mother I used to worry about a lot of things but I learnt to let Sammy go and live his life. Mums, love your babies, just accept them and love them exactly as they are. The most important thing is the love you give your child, they are not here forever, make the most of it. Hug them and love them.”
To donate to Sam’s parents fund for a gifted child, go to givealittle.co.nz/cause/sam-finnemore-tribute
