Napier flooding: Box of ashes washed up on Pirimai driveway reclaimed

Melanie Wilkins, of Allen Berry Ave in Pirimai, found a box of ashes washed up on her driveway. Photo / Supplied

The mystery of a box of ashes that washed up on a Napier driveway during the floods has been solved.

Melanie Wilkins, of Allen Berry Ave, Pirimai, called on the local community to help reunite the box that lodged against her property's fence alongside other debris on Tuesday afternoon.

The box, which had no name or label attached identifying whose ashes may be inside, was recognised by a local business owner.

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Wilkins said the owners of Pirimai Chippy and Serious Burgers came forward to reclaim the box – but not before giving one local family a fright.

"I got a message from someone thinking it was their uncle's ashes that were taken from a house that was robbed recently," she said.

"But then I got a knock on the door from the local fish and chip shop and it turns out they'd scattered their aunt's ashes over the weekend and popped the container in their bin."

It is believed the box had simply floated away during the floods.

Wilkins was happy someone had reclaimed it.

"We found it when we went out to assess the damage," she said.

Wilkins took to social media in hope of trying to identify the box and return it.

The concerned resident's original post on Facebook, combined with the Hawke's Bay Today post of the story, has more than 850 shares, comments and likes.

"I popped it up on my own Facebook page, but it seems it has gone viral," she said. "I am just happy that the mystery is solved."