The heartbroken family of an “inspirational” young Australian woman who died after being hit by a car on Skye has recalled how they “fell in love with her soul”.
They said that 21-year-old Madison Rice always had a “big smile” on her face in photographs after moving to Scotland with her boyfriend Joe Perry.
The family was speaking after enduring “every parent’s nightmare” on Monday when the police knocked on their door in Queensland, Australia, to tell them that she had died in Scotland.
A fundraising appeal was launched yesterday to help pay the costs of returning her body to her homeland, so friends and relatives “can gather to say our goodbyes”.
By last night almost £10,000 had been pledged to the cause in just a few hours.
Ms Rice, known as Maddy, had been enjoying a day off work with Mr Perry when the tragedy happened near the Sligachan Hotel at 1.15am on Monday.
The couple were believed to be returning home to the luxury Kinloch Lodge hotel in Sleat, where they had been living and working.
A moving statement was issued to the Press and Journal yesterday on behalf of Ms Rice’s mother Kerry Shannon, twin brother Harlan Rice, step dad Alix Welsh, father Stephen Rice, his fiance Carol Larke, her cousins Mitchell Solomons, Sam Shannon and Ben Shannon, and her friends.
They said: “Words fail us at the sudden news.
“Some of us were lucky enough to know her. A few even got to share in her ‘Maddyisms’.
“We all got to watch you live your dream to travel to Europe and work in London with one of your best friends (one of many) Courtney and your boyfriend Joe. The love you two shared was inspirational.
“Then you moved to Scotland with Joe to work at the Kinloch Lodge in Sleat, Isle of Skye.
“The photos we saw of your new home and of you with Joe saw a big smile on your face. You were finally seeing blue skies.
“We loved our many chats and Instagram posts keeping up with your time on the other side of the world.
“Everyone that got the opportunity to know you even for a short time, grew to love you very much.
“Rest in peace our beautiful girl. Your family will love and cherish you always.”
The family added: “We will miss you always and love you forever more.
“You are loved by so many. We fell in love with your soul.”
Tributes were paid to Ms Rice throughout the day on social media.
Her employers at the Kinloch Lodge made a donation of more than £1,000 to the campaign to return her body.
The family launched the campaign on the “Youcaring” compassionate crowdfunding page after it emerged that she had no travel insurance.
Step father Mr Welsh, wrote on the page: “We had every parents nightmare Monday night, June 6.
“The police knocked on our door to deliver the hardest news that our wonderful daughter Madison Rice had been killed while she was in Scotland with her boyfriend.
“We ask for help in getting her home to us as she had no travel insurance to help pay to have her brought home.
“We hope to get her home as soon as possible and let everyone know when and where we can gather to say our goodbyes.”
As donations came pouring in yesterday, Mr Welsh wrote: “We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
“I should know tomorrow how much we need to bring our baby home.
“Some people are experiencing some issues but this may be due to traffic with the number of donations coming in at same time perhaps.
“I’m humbled.”