Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Tramper dies after Canterbury river incident: Family of Napier man Phelan McDade remember him as ‘the ultimate outdoorsman’

Michaela Gower
By Michaela Gower
Multimedia Journalist, Hawke's Bay Today·Hawkes Bay Today·
9 Jun, 2025 11:12 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Herald NOW: News update June 10 2025

A 25-year-old Napier man who died tramping the Te Araroa Trail in the South Island is being remembered as an outdoorsman who loved his family, animals and music.

Phelan McDade’s body was found in the Boyle River in Hurunui on Thursday. Emergency services were called to Lewis Pass Rd about 2pm after concerns someone may have been swept into the river.

A Search and Rescue team co-ordinated the response, and a helicopter was deployed to the area.

A family spokeswoman said McDade’s death was a massive loss and beyond devastating for the close-knit family and friends.

“He was just the most gorgeous man... he had a massive beard, long hair and was the ultimate outdoorsman.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Phelan McDade's goal was to walk the length of New Zealand.
Phelan McDade's goal was to walk the length of New Zealand.

“Being out in nature and tramping was where he was happy.”

The spokeswoman said McDade spent a lot of time tramping around the Kaweka Forest Park, and his goal was to walk the length of New Zealand.

He had started in the South Island in 2024 and completed the first section, and planned to continue this year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Emergency services were called to Lewis Pass Rd about 2pm on Thursday after concerns someone may have been swept into the Boyle River. Photo / Google Maps.
Emergency services were called to Lewis Pass Rd about 2pm on Thursday after concerns someone may have been swept into the Boyle River. Photo / Google Maps.

“He wanted to see everything and experience everything and it was a challenge for him and one he was looking forward to completing.”

McDade also had a passion for music and entertaining others with a guitar.

“Whenever he would stop at a backpackers or a hut somewhere on the way, he would be the one picking it up and playing and playing for people.”

The family wanted to thank emergency services that helped find McDade, and were grateful for the kind, empathetic, and professional response.

“The support from emergency services has been fantastic, we can’t say enough good things about them.”

The spokeswoman said a Givealittle had been set up in lieu of flowers for donations to the Te Araroa Trust, the organisation responsible for trail maintenance.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

The addicts outside the stores: Threats, smashings and smeared faeces

12 Jun 06:10 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

On The Up: No mercy – four mothers take on daughters in football match

12 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Opinion

Wyn Drabble: Spotlight on indicating and other driving ills

12 Jun 06:00 PM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Premium
The addicts outside the stores: Threats, smashings and smeared faeces

The addicts outside the stores: Threats, smashings and smeared faeces

12 Jun 06:10 PM

'I was told my family could find my body wrapped in a blanket.'

Premium
On The Up: No mercy – four mothers take on daughters in football match

On The Up: No mercy – four mothers take on daughters in football match

12 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Wyn Drabble: Spotlight on indicating and other driving ills

Wyn Drabble: Spotlight on indicating and other driving ills

12 Jun 06:00 PM
'I will never forgive you': Young mum's words to brother-in-law who abused her for years

'I will never forgive you': Young mum's words to brother-in-law who abused her for years

12 Jun 07:39 AM
The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE
sponsored

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP