Vandals have inflicted more pain on the families of two fishermen who lost their lives when the commercial fishing boat Iron Maiden was lost in horrendous conditions in the vicinity of Pandora Bank, near Cape Maria van Diemen, on the night of August 16, 2004.
Neshia Garrett lost her son,26-year-old Mark Scott, who was never found, and nephew, 23-year-old Greg Thirkettle, whose body was recovered.
The memorial to the two men was placed high on a hill north of Waitaki seven years ago, and had given the families somewhere to go to remember their loved ones, but now even that has been taken from them.
"This used to be a beautiful picture of my son and nephew," Mrs Garrett said.
"It has been sitting in a perfect place, overlooking Pandora, for seven years. It is a place we went to frequently to remember them."
An effort had also been made to propel the memorial down a bank. The Department of Conservation had returned it to its proper position, but it would take the families a very long time to save the money for a new one.
"And it sure as hell won't be going back up there," Mrs Garrett said.
Anyone who has any information regarding the identity of the vandals is warmly invited to contact the Northland Age.
