Touching scenes at sorrowful farewell for Hillcrest victim
Image: Pinegrove Funerals
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.
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.
Two children remain in hospital a week after the incident but have been moved out of intensive care.
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.
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.
Officiator Tracey Bruce said Zane had some challenges in life with "both ADHD and autism".
"But these quirks made him the character he was and certainly didn't stand in his way," she said.
"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.
Ms Bruce said Zane enjoyed spending time with his family.
"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.
"As a young boy he liked to head off on adventures and exploring with his dad.
"His pop also told me that Zane had a fascination with hammering nails and cutting wood with a handsaw.
"He was intrigued about building and Zane may have followed this path as he got older."
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.
"I was so young when I had you — only 15 — and now I know why," she said.
Zane had twin passions — dinosaurs and gaming — which combined to form his online player name Jurassic Zane.
Ms Mellor said her son "knew every dinosaur name" and "exactly what period they came from".
He was said to have often corrected family members about the pronunciations.
She said she spoiled her son rotten "and I have no regrets".
"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.
"I would come in, take your headset off, turn the PlayStation off and kiss your head goodnight.
"The past year you have grown into a man that finally grew his wings.
"I love you Zane, no matter what the weather, we're together. I love you Zane," she finished.
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.