Two more people have died in circumstances related to Cyclone Gabrielle, taking the toll to 11, police say.
鈥淧olice confirm the death of a person in their home at Onekawa, Napier on Thursday 16 February. The person is believed to have died in circumstances related to Cyclone Gabrielle.鈥
The second death confirmed this morning occurred in Crownthorpe, Hastings, and was reported last night, police said.
鈥淭he person is believed to have died in circumstances related to Cyclone Gabrielle.鈥
Nine others are already known to have died when the powerful cyclone swept down from the tropics bringing wind, rain and devastation to communities across the North Island overnight on Monday.
The biggest known loss of life so far was in Hawke鈥檚 Bay, where rivers burst their banks and sodden land gave way, sweeping young and old to their deaths.
There was also loss of life to the north, in Tair膩whiti, while two volunteer firefighters paid the ultimate price for their service to the community when a landslide came down on a stricken home in the Auckland beach community of Muriwai.
Here鈥檚 what we know about the victims so far.
Ivy Collins, 2
Ivy Collins and her mum Ella. Photo / Ella Collins
The younger of Ella and Jack Collins鈥 two daughters died after she was swept from her pregnant mum鈥檚 shoulders as the family tried to reach safety at a neighbour鈥檚 house, after the Esk River sent a torrent of water through homes across the Esk Valley, north of Napier, early Tuesday.
They鈥檇 woken at 3am to discover water in the house, soon realising their lives were in danger, Jack鈥檚 brother Adam Collins told the Herald.
鈥淭hey were trying to come up with a plan, they had a few minutes, trying to get the dogs inside, organise the pets, and then this wave came through which added to the water in the house quite significantly, sort of halfway up the walls.
鈥淎t that point they knew they had to get out. It鈥檚 a one-storey house, they didn鈥檛 have roof space.鈥
Mum Ella described Ivy - 鈥渙ur beautiful baby girl鈥 - as a 鈥渂right shining light 鈥 [who] charged through life with a beautiful smile on her face regardless of what stood in her way鈥.
The family also lost their home and a听听has been set up to support them, with $226,000 donated by this afternoon.
The impact of their daughter鈥檚 loss would last forever, Ella Collins said.
鈥淩ight now it seems an insurmountable mountain but we have each other; my husband Jack, our daughter Imogen, our baby due in August and our families, friends and community.鈥
John Coates, 64
Police confirmed John Robert Dudley Coates as the man found dead in floodwaters on his Te Karaka, Gisborne property. Photo / Supplied
Rescuers tried three times to reach John Coates after floodwaters engulfed his home in Te Karaka, 30km northwest of Gisborne, at 2am on Tuesday.
鈥淚t went from ankle deep to vehicles floating in 20 minutes 鈥 It was like an inland tsunami of water coming in, basically鈥, son Chris Coates told the Herald of the flooding caused when the Waip膩oa River breached in multiple places.
鈥淭he amount of water that was located in this area has made [Cyclone] Bola look like a storm in a teacup.鈥
Five hundred Te Karaka residents who did make it to safety would spend 27 hours trapped on a hill waiting for help.
Coates was part of a family that had lived in the Te Karaka area for more than a century.
He told the Herald in 2013 it was 鈥渁 nice thing鈥 to be connected to a place for a long time.
鈥淚 went to school here and still know a lot of people around today that I went to school with.鈥
The farmer, who also ran an earth-moving company, was a 鈥渉uge member of the community鈥, Te Karaka resident Shawn Smyth said.
鈥淛ohn Coates Earthmoving, he does all the forestry, roading for all of the Mangatu 鈥 everyone will know that name.鈥
Marie Greene, 59
Marie Greene's body was found in the roof cavity of her Puketapu cottage. Photo / File
A much-loved mum described by her daughter Rachel as 鈥済enerous and kind鈥, Marie Greene died when the Tutaekuri River burst its banks on Tuesday morning and sent a torrent of water towards the settlement of Puketapu.
The son of Greene鈥檚 landlord found her body in the roof cavity of her cottage, 13km northwest of Napier.
On a听听set up to support Greene鈥檚 daughter, the 59-year-old鈥檚 cousin Lance Julian described the loss of 鈥渙ne of the most generous people you鈥檇 ever meet.
鈥淪he had the sort of personality that everyone gravitated towards. She was an all-round people person who loved being with her friends and family. She was a smiling face on the checkout at New World in Greenmeadows.鈥
Donations are at just over $4000 this afternoon.
George Luke
George Luke, father of Kiwis star Issac Luke, died after he was hit by a slip on the Taihape-Napier Road. Photo / Supplied
The Taranaki rugby league community is mourning the death of local club stalwart George Luke, the father of former Kiwi star Issac Luke, after he died following a slip on the Taihape-Napier road as Cyclone Gabrielle swept over.
Luke and his partner Mau Goodman were returning to Hastings from Rotorua on Monday night and took the winding route over the Kaweka Ranges when bad weather closed the Napier-Taupo road.
When the family did not hear from them a desperate search was launched, with appeals being made on social media.
They were eventually located yesterday and evacuated by helicopter separately and flown to Hawke鈥檚 Bay Hospital in Hastings, where Luke later died.
Goodman is recovering.
Former Warriors and Kiwis star Issac Luke said he was 鈥渂roken鈥 by his father鈥檚 death.
鈥淢y first hero,鈥 he wrote on social media.
鈥淪ee you soon dad. I love you.鈥
The Hawera Hawks also paid tribute to Luke on social media, referring to him as their 鈥渢艒tara tree鈥.
鈥淵ou were always there to guide us,鈥 they wrote.
鈥淔ather, brother, koro, uncle, mentor and a friend. We are going to miss you dearly.鈥
Shona Wilson
The house where Tutira woman Shona Wilson died in a slip. Photo / Supplied
A mum of three teens, Shona Wilson died when a slip crashed through her home in T奴tira, north of Napier.
Her partner, Bill Chrystal - who survived along with Wilson鈥檚 daughter - dug for several hours in the dark through up to four metres of mud in an unsuccessful attempt to save his partner of nine years.
The slip crashed through a bedroom in the corner of the house on a Matahoura Rd lifestyle block, about 4am on Tuesday, Chrystal told his son Kalin.
Had the slip been a metre closer, all three would have likely perished, said Kalin, who was flown into the area by helicopter.
础听听has been set up to help family, with donations at $10,000 this afternoon.
Dave van Zwanenberg
Volunteer firefighter Dave van Zwanenberg died in a landslide while helping at a damaged house in Muriwai, Auckland, during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / File
The widow of the volunteer firefighter, veterinarian and father killed in a slip at Muriwai on Monday night described him as the 鈥渃ornerstone鈥 of her family鈥檚 lives.
Dave van Zwanenberg died helping evacuate residents and is being remembered for his good humour, his authentic care, his intelligence and supreme competence at anything he turned his hand to.
Widow Amy van Zwanenberg has today said her family are utterly devastated by their loss.
鈥淔irst and foremost, a family man, Dave was dedicated to spending quality time with his children and building a life to nurture their growth.鈥
They decided Muriwai 鈥渁nd its beautiful community was the perfect place for this鈥, with van Zwanenberg also living a full life that included being a pilot, kite surfer and ultra-marathon runner.
鈥淏ut he also loved a good book on the deck.鈥
Monday night started as 鈥渏ust another occasion where Dave made sure we were settled and safe at home and headed out to join the fire brigade and help his community.
鈥淩eliability and dependability were his core values, whatever the weather.鈥
She was grateful to Urban Search and Rescue, police and all the fire and emergency crews who helped after the incident, but especially to her husband鈥檚 brigade - who were deeply affected by the tragedy - and friends who鈥檇 immediately come to her family鈥檚 aid.
鈥淵ou give me the strength to continue to be the mum I need to be, to help Dave鈥檚 beautiful children thrive despite this pain, and to be the legacy that he would be most proud of.鈥
Muriwai Fire Service has set up an official听听to support families of both van Zwanenberg and his colleage, Craig Stevens, who also died as a result of the landslide. More than $133,000 has been raised by this afternoon.
Craig Stevens
Volunteer firefighter Craig Stevens is survived by his wife Lucy and his two children Kauri, 6, and Tai, 4. Photo / Supplied
Muriwai firefighter Craig Stevens died in hospital two days after he was critically injured in the same slip that killed his colleague Dave van Zwanenberg.
Friends have set up a听, to help support his wife Lucy and children Kauri, 6, and Tai, 4. Donations were at $191,000 this afternoon.
鈥淚 met 鈥楻ock n Roll Craig鈥 when he moved to Oxford, aged 16,鈥 friend Alex Leech said.
鈥淲e went to many skateparks, saw bands, and listened to lots of music. I鈥檓 not really sure if he was like my son or my brother, but he was always my guide and mentor.
鈥淗e grabbed life with both hands and shook it into submission, no matter what the situation,鈥 he said in a social media tribute.
Stevens once said his mum told him to walk into any room like he owned the place, and 鈥渉e sure did do that鈥, Leech said.
鈥淲ell stand aside Jesus, there鈥檚 a new guy in charge of heaven now.鈥
Four victims have not yet been publicly identified:
- A person found washed up on a beach in Bay View, Napier, on Tuesday
- A man aged in his 70s found in Waiohiki, Hawke鈥檚 Bay on Thursday
- A person found in their home in Onekawa, Napier, on Thursday
- A person found in Crownthorpe, Hastings, last night
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