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'My daughter didn’t need to die': Mum of 2-year-old swept away

Author
Carolyne Meng-Yee,
Publish Date
Wed, 14 Feb 2024, 7:05am

'My daughter didn’t need to die': Mum of 2-year-old swept away

Author
Carolyne Meng-Yee,
Publish Date
Wed, 14 Feb 2024, 7:05am

The mother of a 2-year-old girl swept away in floodwaters during听Cyclone Gabrielle听believes her family鈥檚 鈥渋mmense trauma鈥� could have been avoided if authorities had acted sooner.听

Ivy Collins -听earlier described听by her mother Ella as 鈥渁 beautiful little cherub鈥� -听died on February 14 last year as Cyclone Gabrielle bore down on Esk Valley听in Hawke鈥檚 Bay.

Ella Collins didn鈥檛 wish to comment to the听Herald听this week but said in a Facebook post on Tuesday the tragedy was preventable.

Ella Collins says her daughter's death was preventable. Ivy (front) died during Cyclone Gabrielle.Ella Collins says her daughter's death was preventable. Ivy (front) died during Cyclone Gabrielle.

鈥淥ne phone call and seven lives could have been saved ... one phone call and my family would be whole, instead of forever lacking ... the property loss was inevitable, but my daughter didn鈥檛 need to die that night,鈥� she said in the post.

The Collins鈥� neighbour, Garry Foley, is also furious that Ivy and seven other Hawke鈥檚 Bay residents lost their lives during the disaster.

Garry Foley says the Hawke's Bay District Council should have evacuated families the day before the cyclone hit. He is Ella and Jack Collins' next-door neighbour. Photo / Connull LangGarry Foley says the Hawke's Bay District Council should have evacuated families the day before the cyclone hit. He is Ella and Jack Collins' next-door neighbour. Photo / Connull Lang

Foley believed the Hastings District Council should have evacuated families the day before.

鈥淚 am f***ed off people lost their lives - that should never have happened,鈥� Foley told the听Herald.

鈥淲e have lost material things not a child, Ella and Jack wake up to that every day. It will get better but it will never go away.鈥�

Hastings District Council chief executive Nigel Bickle said reviews of decision-making听during the event听- including evacuations - were under way and those findings were due in the coming months.

Foley, a diesel technician who still lives in Esk Valley, woke at 2am on February 14 to use the bathroom. It was blowing a gale and there was no power. He went back to bed and heard gurgling sounds coming from the toilet and bathroom basin, which concerned him.

鈥淚 got up again looked out the window and it was teeming down with rain.鈥� He yelled, 鈥淗urry up Heather, we have to get out now!鈥欌€�

Heather Bates, Foley鈥檚 partner, wanted to drive to a higher spot but it was too late, the water had flooded the doorway. She was worried about Ella, who was heavily pregnant with her and her husband鈥檚 third child and felt helpless she couldn鈥檛 reach her immediately next door.

鈥淚t鈥檚 only because Garry got up, we knew how bad it was. Ella told me when they realised what was happening, they packed a few bits and pieces and told the girls they were going on an adventure, but our driveway was like Huka Falls, the water was gushing in,鈥� Bates told the听Herald.

 Garry Foley鈥檚 flooded property during Cyclone Gabrielle.Garry Foley鈥檚 flooded property during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Ella Collins had her daughter Ivy on her shoulders when she was swept away during Cyclone Gabrielle.Ella Collins had her daughter Ivy on her shoulders when she was swept away during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Jack Collins鈥� brother Adam told the听Herald听last year that the family woke up to water inside their house.

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�

The couple decided to take a child each on their shoulders to seek refuge at a neighbour鈥檚 two-storey house, two doors away from Bates鈥� and Foley鈥檚 place.

 Garry Foley's house and driveway, where the Collins family fell into a sinkhole. Photo / Connull LangGarry Foley's house and driveway, where the Collins family fell into a sinkhole. Photo / Connull Lang

Foley said as the Collins family swam and waded on to their driveway, they accidentally fell into a sinkhole that had formed when the road was swallowed by water.

鈥淚t was around 3am, they were walking in the dark and didn鈥檛 know about the sinkhole. The saddest thing is they have walked up and down that road a hundred times then 鈥榖oom鈥�, they fall into one of the three sinkholes that were three meters deep,鈥� Foley said.

Eventually, the group made it to Foley鈥檚 house and Bates let Jack, Ella and Imogen in through the sliding doors.

Before they climbed up the ceiling Ella dressed Imogen in dry clothes on a couch that was floating in the lounge.

Luckily, Foley said, they were renovating their house at the time, and had a stack of tiles that were right underneath the ceiling hatch that made it easier to climb up.

鈥淚mogen was up there singing away, she was being a kid. It was surreal, I don鈥檛 think she knew what had happened to Ivy.鈥�

Garry Foley pointing to the latch where the Collins family climbed into the ceiling and waited for the rain to recede during Cyclone Gabrielle.Garry Foley pointing to the latch where the Collins family climbed into the ceiling and waited for the rain to recede during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Jack had gone back outside in a desperate attempt to find Ivy.

鈥淚 could see Jack floating down the driveway and hanging on a tree,鈥� Foley said.

鈥淗e used the torch on his mobile phone and was yelling out. He was distraught but he did the best he could for his family.鈥�

Bates credits Jack for rescuing them, too.

鈥淛ack used all his strength and power to put a hole in our roof and enabled us to get ... [outside]. He is a quick thinker,鈥� Bates said.

Ella and Jack Collins have moved away from Eskdale after their daughter Ivy was swept away during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / George HeardElla and Jack Collins have moved away from Eskdale after their daughter Ivy was swept away during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / George Heard

Tragically, Ivy was found the next morning in another neighbour鈥檚 backyard.

The Collins family have since moved away from the area, only two white plastic chairs remain on their porch.

Last year, Ella gave birth to the couple鈥檚 third child, Jack, who was born on July 19 at 10.05am weighing 3.42kg (7.34lb).

Ella and Jack Collins' son Jack, who was born on July 19 last year. His older sister Ivy, 4, was swept away during Cyclone Gabrielle. 
Ella and Jack Collins' son Jack, who was born on July 19 last year. His older sister Ivy, 4, was swept away during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Bickle told the听Herald听the reviews into the council鈥檚 handling of Cyclone Gabrielle response were ongoing and the findings are expected later this year.

鈥淎s events unfolded HDC worked closely with the lead emergency agencies, through Hawke鈥檚 Bay Civil Defence to ensure they had the best information to respond in a timely way including door-knocking locations that are at risk, based on the Hawke鈥檚 Bay Regional Council weather and river information. Decisions on evacuations cannot occur until a Civil Defence emergency is officially declared,鈥� Bickle said.

鈥淭ragically, seven people lost their lives to the cyclone in Hastings [plus two in Muriwai; one in Napier; one in Gisborne]. We know that some people are concerned about how the event was managed, including evacuations, and that is why there are a number of inquiries into that management. The results of two of those inquiries are expected to be released in March and the third in May.鈥�

Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist. She has worked for the Herald since 2007 and was previously a commissioner at TVNZ and a current affairs producer for 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.

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