Hundreds farewell young student

At low tide, Wiremu Rawiri was taken to Motuopae Island to be buried. Photo / George Novak

Hundreds of people gathered to pay their final respects to Tauranga teenager Wiremu Rawiri.

Huria Marae was yesterday overflowing with friends and family who came to say their goodbyes to Wiremu who died after suffering an asthma attack on Monday.

Wiremu, 17, was studying at Te Aute College in Hawke's Bay and several of his teachers and friends made the trip to Tauranga for his tangi.

Te Aute College commissioner Elizabeth Ellis also came to the tangi and described Wiremu's death as the loss of a terrific young man.

A church service was held at the marae and the huge number of people meant several of the crowd had to stand outside.

People described how Wiremu was taken too soon and how he was a talented and caring young man.

As his coffin was carried from the marae by his friends and family, several others performed a rousing and emotional haka.

At low tide his body was then taken to nearby Motuopae Island, with the majority of people following on foot.

Several of Wiremu's family members are buried on the island and one relative said Wiremu would be buried near the top of the island, next to his grandfather.

She said hundreds of people had visited the marae over the past couple of days and it was a fitting send-off for her nephew.

Aunt Wendy Swales said Wiremu had a positive outlook on life.

She said Wiremu had developed a love of kapa haka which had kept him fit and helped him manage the chronic asthma he lived with since he was a boy.

"I was talking to him a couple of months ago and he said he hadn't had an asthma attack for over a year," Mrs Swales said.

"His mother is absolutely heartbroken."