'ZACH WAS MY BEST FRIEND'

Following the Hunter Valley bus crash, grieving dad Adam Bray shares his story

- Lizzie Wilson

Zachary Bray had the world at his feet. Bright-eyed with big dreams, he was a much-loved son, stepson, wonderfully kind brother, loyal friend and steadfast teammate. For Zach's dad Adam, there's a moment every morning before he opens his eyes that he wishes the tragic events of the past months were nothing more than a terrible nightmare.

The father-of-four, 60, openly weeps as he recalls to Woman's Day the moment he knew his beloved son was among the 10 wedding guests killed in the NSW Hunter Valley bus crash on June 11 earlier this year.

"It's the call no parent ever wants to be on the receiving end of. My ex-wife Jacqui, Zachy's mum, said she was watching TV and there'd been a bus crash in the Hunter Valley near where we both knew he'd been attending a wedding the day before," recalls Adam, who was with his mother, "Nana Bray", and two youngest kids Jordi and Indi in the NSW Southern Highlands when he decided he had to be there to search for his son.

"It's all a blur, but I drove myself to the scene, 300 kilometres away, not knowing if our son was alive or dead. I was screaming his name, pleading that it was all a mistake and that he'd been located at one of the hospitals."

When Adam arrived at the crash site, he says nothing could've prepared him for the unimaginable carnage.

"It was like a war zone," he recalls. "I started to walk up to the bus and a police officer advised I should go to a local cafe with other families who were awaiting news of their loved ones.

"I said, 'My son's on that bus, and he gently replied, 'If your son is on that bus, honestly, you don't want to see him.'

"I felt my knees buckle, and I sat on the ground, on my own, and cried. I thought, not our precious boy."