Slip victim's family mourn at marae

The scene of the landslide. Photo / Troy Baker, Whakatane Beacon

The teenager killed in the Ohope landslide tragedy was last night surrounded by family at a Bay of Plenty marae.

The body of 17-year-old Hughie Biddle was recovered by police on Saturday night, hours after the landslide smashed its way through the house he lived in at Ohope Beach, near Whakatane.

Mr Biddle, also known as Boy, was taken to Te Rewarewa Marae in Ruatoki where whanau and his pregnant girlfriend, Cherize Kutia, were gathered.

A family member said the death was a tragedy that occurred just as his life was about to take a new direction.

The Wesley College old boy had just started an engineering apprenticeship in Opotiki and was soon to be a father.

His own father, Arama, had died and he was living with school principal Rob Shaw, whose house was hit by the landslide.

An aunt, who asked not to be named, told the Herald he was a "likeable lad who wasn't perfect" but a "caring boy [who] loved all his cousins - and they loved him".

She credited Mr Shaw, the principal of Taneatua School, for getting her nephew into Wesley College and being a positive influence on him.

Whanau were coming from around the country for his funeral on Wednesday.

The slip happened about noon and was triggered by heavy rain that lashed the area at the weekend. Mr Shaw was in the kitchen when the landslide swept past. He escaped, but Mr Biddle was trapped in his bedroom.

It is believed he was covered by at least a metre of debris when rescuers finally got to him after more than seven hours.

Neighbours said the area was prone to landslides. Other houses were evacuated as a precaution because of fears the ground was still unstable.

Facebook tributes

Meanwhile friends of the Mr Biddle have left tributes for the 17-year-old on their Facebook pages.

Over the weekend, Rob Tai mourned that his friend was not be "at rugby with the bros".

"Love you bro, till we meet again," he wrote.

Friend Gino Naidoo also paid tribute to Mr Biddle.

"RIP Hueyy Biddle, take it easy up in the air brother. Still can't believe you're not with us, praying hard for better days, you're at peace now brother, rest easy," Mr Naidoo wrote.

"In the end it's not the years in you're life that count, it's the life in your years that count."

- with NZ Herald staff