Touching scenes at sorrowful farewell for Hillcrest victim
<p><em>Image: Pinegrove Funerals </em></p>
<p>Zane Mellor, one of the victims of the Hillcrest Primary School jumping castle incident in Tasmania's north, has been remembered in Devonport as a loving teenager and a passionate gamer.</p>
<p>The 12-year-old was one of six students killed last Thursday while celebrating the last day of school, when a gust of wind lifted a jumping castle and some zorb balls into the air, causing children to fall from a height of about 10 metres.</p>
<p>Two children remain in hospital a week after the incident but have been moved out of intensive care.</p>
<p>At the service, at Pinegrove Funerals in Devonport, Zane's casket was draped in his PlayStation console, controllers and a poster of one of his favourite games.</p>
<p>Speakers spoke fondly of his love of the hobby and other gamer friends he played with all over the world sent in messages of condolences.</p>
<p>Officiator Tracey Bruce said Zane had some challenges in life with "both ADHD and autism".</p>
<p>"But these quirks made him the character he was and certainly didn't stand in his way," she said.</p>
<p>"He also had a love of animals, he was the chicken whisperer, the cat whisperer, and his support dog Peanut the dachshund was very loved," she said.</p>
<p>Ms Bruce said Zane enjoyed spending time with his family.</p>
<p>"Zane was kind, loving and caring to his little brothers and sisters until they got to around the age of five, then it turned into your typical sibling love-hate relationship," she said.</p>
<p>"As a young boy he liked to head off on adventures and exploring with his dad.</p>
<p>"His pop also told me that Zane had a fascination with hammering nails and cutting wood with a handsaw.</p>
<p>"He was intrigued about building and Zane may have followed this path as he got older."</p>
<p>Zane's mother, Georgie Mellor, gave a tearful tribute to her son, recalling his first breath and how he was always there for her as a young mum.</p>
<p>"I was so young when I had you — only 15 — and now I know why," she said.</p>
<p>Zane had twin passions — dinosaurs and gaming — which combined to form his online player name Jurassic Zane.</p>
<p>Ms Mellor said her son "knew every dinosaur name" and "exactly what period they came from".</p>
<p>He was said to have often corrected family members about the pronunciations.</p>
<p>She said she spoiled her son rotten "and I have no regrets".</p>
<p>"Everyone told me to get you off that PlayStation, but I let you play until your heart was content, until your eyes got sleepy and you fell asleep," she said.</p>
<p>"I would come in, take your headset off, turn the PlayStation off and kiss your head goodnight.</p>
<p>"The past year you have grown into a man that finally grew his wings.</p>
<p>"I love you Zane, no matter what the weather, we're together. I love you Zane," she finished.</p>
<p>At the end of the funeral Zane's casket was carried to the waiting hearse, and mourners, led by close family members, walked behind it as it left the funeral home.</p>
