Anyone who knew Stuart David Smith as a boy would have thought he could survive anything.

Indeed, he lived the proverbial nine lives.

He almost drowned in swimming pools on a few occasions and he was run over by a car at age eight or nine.

The youngster from Whakatane, New Zealand, also had to be taken off a ski field on a stretcher but, as with every other accident or near-death brush, he cheated the Grim Reaper.

"He had lots of lives, you know, like a cat. He always lived a little dangerously I suppose. He really lived life," recalled the eldest of his three sisters, Judy, yesterday.

Regrettably, Stuart's zest for adventure - the same yearning that brought him to a new job in Bermuda in 1999 - came to an end last Sunday afternoon far away from the places where he had his early scares.

An autopsy done yesterday revealed the 34-year-old suffered a broken neck, a ruptured aorta and multiple injuries, said an official from the Coroner's Office.

The news of their only son's demise in a powerboat crash was broken to David and Helen Smith by local police around 3 p.m. Monday (midnight Sunday Bermuda time) and quickly they relayed the horrible story to their three daughters - their baby brother was gone.

"He was our young, blue-eyed, handsome boy and he always had us to tell him what to do. You know how big sisters can be," said Judy, chuckling softly as she spoke to The Royal Gazette from her parents' home.

Much of Stuart's extended family resides in the east-coast town of 15,000 people and the word soon spread.

"We are all very upset and shocked. It's very hard when somebody is in a different country but Stuart's boss and colleagues have been marvellous. They are staying in contact with us and making all the arrangements.

"We feel sorry for Stuart's friend who was injured. He must feel terrible," said his sister, referring to Michael Araujo who was piloting the ill-fated catamaran in which Stuart perished in the annual Around The Island race.

As they await the arrival of Stuart's body - due to leave Bermuda tomorrow - and make funeral arrangements, the family will be joined by his ex-wife and eight-year-old son Connor who are travelling from Auckland.

Stuart's parents, now retired and both in their sixties, were the last relatives to speak with their youngest child two weeks ago. He kept in regular touch with his sisters via e-mail. One sister, Linda, sent him a note on Saturday and Judy thought of calling him Sunday afternoon but put it off, realising it would have been around 2 a.m. here. She choked up recalling that missed opportunity to talk to her brother.

Sadly, none of the Smiths ever got the opportunity to visit Bermuda and neither did Stuart - who was "adored" by his nieces and nephews - return home since relocating.

"We thought he might come back this Christmas," said Judy, adding that not having seen him in almost three years makes his loss even tougher.

However, she and her family are buoyed by the fact that Stuart died doing what he loved and in a country where he "was having such a great time".

"We were all excited for him when he was moving to Bermuda. It's something he really wanted to do and it looked like a great opportunity. Whenever we heard from him he was having fun and really enjoying the lifestyle there. That's what's important."

Stuart, a motor mechanic who once ran his own business, was living in Auckland when he landed the job with A & P Marine Limited but he went back home to say goodbye to his family before leaving.

Never could they or he have imagined it would be the last time they saw each other.