Cyclone Gabrielle: Napier, Hawke’s Bay flood victim Susane Caccioppoli was a ‘devoted and protective’ mother

A “devoted and protective” mother who survived breast cancer twice has died after being swept away by rising floodwaters that hit the Hawke’s Bay home that she and her boyfriend were housesitting.

Widow Susane Caccioppoli was last seen by her boyfriend Gareth early on Tuesday morning after floodwaters ripped through the Esk Valley house where they were staying - Susane’s daughter Bianka-Lee Bryan confirmed on social media that her mother had died.

Police have confirmed her body was found on the shore at Bay View beach last Tuesday night.

Susane Caccioppoli died in the Napier flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Supplied

Bryan described her mother as a cheerful, welcoming, and kind constant who was available to everyone at any time for a coffee, a chat and a laugh. “She will be remembered as a devoted and protective mother, oma, daughter and sister, with so much love to give,” Bryan said in the emotional tribute on social media. “She was gifted with a voice of an angel, blessing everyone at the local country music club for many years. She was always happiest when with her family.”

Caccioppoli had fought breast cancer twice, resulting in more than 11 surgeries in the last 15 years, Bryan said. “She was always our precious dove. The last few years in particular have been the hardest for her following the death of her loving husband, and our devoted father. She remained the super glue that held our family together with her inexhaustible love, no matter the troubles in her life.”

Aerial views of flooding in Hawke's Bay as Cyclone Gabrielle hit the region. February 14, 2023. Photo / Photography by Corena

Bryan said while the family wished more than anything to see her mother walk through the door with one heck of a survival story to tell, they found comfort in knowing “she is now held closely in Dad’s arms”.

“We hope that our friends and family can also find peace in knowing that she has reunited with her one true soul mate.”

Floodwaters ripped through the Eskdale house that Gareth and Susane were housesitting at an “absolutely mad speed” about 2.30am last Tuesday, even though the building had been designed to survive floods - it was built on 1.2 metre piles.

Property owner Maik Beekmans said the couple were inside the house and Gareth decided to secure some of their more valuable possessions and didn’t think it could get much worse.

“But the water kept rising. At that stage, he simply could not flee the property in a safe way because the water was well beyond any vehicle being able to drive out of there. No boat. Nothing to get out of there.

“So Gareth and [Susane] sought refuge on our benchtop in the kitchen, and the water kept rising, he smashed his way through the GIB board in the ceiling. They clambered up into the ceiling space. And when they were up there, a 40-foot container took the front half of our house off.

“It smashed through the walls of the living room. That’s when the house actually opened up,” Beekmans told RNZ.

Mud now cakes the Esk Valley, showing the extent of floodwaters during Cyclone Gabrielle Photo / RNZ/ Sally Murphy

Gareth was injured in hospital and had lost Susane that night, he said.

“We think he lost his girlfriend that night. She disappeared underwater. She disappeared under the house and she’s been missing. He told me he’s never been as scared in his life as yesterday.

“They both managed to get into the ceiling. When the water kept rising into the ceiling space they had to clamber on to the roof. And as they were trying to work their way from the ceiling space on to the roof, only Gareth made it,” Beekmans said.

“He tried to help her obviously but a log separated them,” said Beekmans’ daughter, Frederieke.

Gareth managed to get onto the roof and was rescued by a helicopter after his daughter in Napier had reported him missing. “We reported [Susane as missing] this morning when we saw the report of a body found on Bay View beach.”