Ahipara-based tour company Sand Safaris lost one of its buses on 90 Mile Beach on Tuesday afternoon - but at least one local person saw a silver lining.
As the low tide turned and waves began reaching the bus late in the day he emerged from the vehicle, clutching something in one hand.
Asked by Houhora's resident police officer, Senior Constable Tracee Knowler, what he had helped himself to he replied: "Just a sandwich."
The bus came to grief as it was heading south from a trip to Cape Reinga, apparently hitting a deep hole below rocks immediately north of The Bluff. The driver and passengers disembarked unharmed, and were delivered to Kaitaia aboard a bus operated by another local company.
By the time police and the Northern Advocate's sister paper, the Northland Age arrived there was no sign of anyone apart from a few onlookers.
It is understood that the vehicle was floating when two local men arrived on the scene. They advised the driver to get his reportedly elderly passengers off before it was pulled out into the surf, and/or rolled, in which case they might have been in danger of drowning.
Sand Safaris owner Sara Kennedy, who could not be contacted yesterday, said in response to comments on the Houhora police Facebook page that the bus was being salvaged on Tuesday night, without damage being done to the environment.
Senior Constable Knowler did not expect any damage to be done providing the vehicle was removed reasonably quickly. There had been no sign of oil or diesel leaking while she was there.
"At the moment it is no different to all the other vehicles that use the beach daily," she said.
"If it becomes an issue then I'm sure the council has charges it can bring."
Ms Kennedy said the driver was a local man with more than 20 years' experience, who had fallen victim to a high tide and a "disappearing bluff area with a hole. It's a dangerous beach."
"We are truly gutted but everyone is safe and sound, so that's all that counts," she added.
"My husband and I were just devastated as it's [the bus] his baby."
She also offered "a big thank you" to Senior Constable Knowler, while another contributor to the page said the hole had deepened lately.