Grieving family tell of fisherman's big heart

The view across to Motukaraka Pt, where Bruce Ngapera went fishing.

Fisherman Bruce Ngapera had a big heart.

He loved fishing and was always thinking about those around him so it's no surprise he was always sharing what he caught with others in the community.

"After he retired he got involved with the local marae and he learned to fish," his partner of 25 years, Lisa Timihou, told the Herald yesterday after his tragic death on the Hokianga Harbour this week.

"He used to catch lots of fish and give them out to all the different people around here.

"He went fishing all the time, taking this boat out and contributing to all the different families around here.

"He wasn't about himself, he was about everyone else."

The 65-year-old had gone fishing in a small boat off Motukaraka Pt, on the north side of the Hokianga Harbour, on Monday.

He was due back late afternoon but when he failed to return his worried family contacted the police.

Three hours after Hokianga Coastguard, Coastguard Air Patrol and local residents started searching his body was found out on the water.

"[He will be] terribly, terribly missed. He had a real big heart. He always helped people, that was him," Timihou said.

She said the family wondered if he had fallen. "He wasn't terribly stable when he did anything — he was a bit clumsy on his feet. We think he might have gone to get his rod and fallen over. His balance wasn't good."

The couple met in Wellington, she said, and he spent all his life working hard and making time for others.

After many years behind the wheel of a truck, Ngapera retired in Northland but would help out at the local marae.

"He was always helping the whānau up here, if there was something going on at the marae he was always there ... tirelessly worked, all the time," Timihou said.

"He fished, he'd catch them and give them to this family and that's more or less what he did up here."

After his death, the local hapū Ngāi Tūpoto ki Motukaraka placed a rāhui on the Tapuwae River until further notice. It covers the Matawera, Tapuwae, Motukaraka Island and Te Wharau areas of Motukaraka.

Yesterday the search continued for another missing fisherman, Myung Kang, who failed to return from a fishing trip at Bethells Beach on Saturday.

The 57-year-old's car, a white Toyota Prius, was found at the carpark after his family raised the alarm when he didn't come home.

And Auckland police said yesterday that a body believed to be that of missing teen Leka Pasiaka has been found more than a week after he was swept away at Whatipu Beach.

Leka, 16, was swept out to sea about 1.30pm on December 29.

Police said the body was recovered north of Piha Beach after it was spotted by the Eagle helicopter on Monday night.

The Avondale College student had been at the beach with family members when he got caught in a rip.

He has been praised for his bravery after pushing his sister back towards safety when she swam out to try to save him. She was taken to hospital but when she was discharged, she returned to the beach vowing not to leave until her brother was found.