A teenage boy killed in the Mount Maunganui landslide has been remembered by his family as a “kind, loving and joyful young man who brought light to everyone around him”.
Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico, both 15, were enjoying a summer holiday together with family when they were caught in the Mount Maunganui slip.
Max was a keen sportsman and talented basketball player, winning a junior player of the year award last year.
This week, he would have turned 16, a milestone birthday his family had been looking forward to celebrating.
His mother, Hannah Furse, said the love she had for her son was “impossible to explain”.
“No words are big enough to describe this love or the loss we are feeling,” Furse said.
“From the moment I first looked into his beautiful blue eyes almost 16 years ago, he had my whole heart. He was my sunshine.”
She described Max as a “wonderful son, a devoted big brother, grandson, nephew, friend, teammate and boyfriend”.
“He was such a good kid, and he is so deeply loved.”
Furse said her son was incredibly close to his family, and the bond they shared “meant everything”.
“He brought so much joy, laughter and light into our lives every single day,” she said.
“His incredible friends and his girlfriend meant the world to him, and the love, happiness and sense of belonging they gave him brought him so much joy.”
She said life without her son felt impossible.
“In truth, all of this feels impossible to imagine. We are endlessly proud of who he is and that he is ours,” Furse said.
“Just days ago, my biggest fear was him getting his driver’s licence.
“How I wish now that he could have experienced the joy of driving, and so many other moments that growing up brings.
“Our lives have changed so suddenly and so completely, we will never be the same.
“Max will always be loved, always be ours, and always be remembered.
“Love you 100, Max.”
Furse thanked the wider community for its support and paid tribute to the rescue teams continuing to work at the slip site.
“We would like to thank everyone who has reached out with messages of love and support. They mean more to us than we can ever express,” she said.
“We also want to sincerely thank the entire team working at Mauao.
“We have been cared for with extraordinary kindness, compassion and humanity. With tears in their eyes, they have updated us, sat with us, fed us, and searched for hours on end and continue to work tirelessly to bring our baby home to us.”
The family said their thoughts were also with other families still waiting for news.
“Our hearts are with the families who are waiting for their loved ones with us.
“We share this grief with you, and we are holding you close in our thoughts during this unimaginably painful time.”
Pakūranga College confirmed the deaths of the two students, Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico, in the tragedy.
In a statement, the college said it had been in contact with both families to express its “heartfelt sympathy and aroha”.
“Many members of the college have been deeply impacted by the news and we are working to support students and staff in the coming days and weeks,” the statement said.
“The wellbeing of our college community is paramount as the school year starts next week under incredibly sad circumstances.”
Police have listed others as missing in the tragedy, including Rotorua friends Sharon Knowles and Jacqualine Wheeler, Morrinsville woman Lisa Maclennan and Swedish tourist Måns Bernhardsson.
Pakūranga MP Simeon Brown said the news had left the community heartbroken.
“My heart is absolutely broken by the news that [Max] Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico, two young students from Pakūranga College here in East Auckland, have lost their lives in the Mount Maunganui landslides,” Brown said.
“To the families, friends, and everyone who knew and loved them, our community is grieving with you. These were two young people with their whole lives ahead of them, taken far too soon in the most unimaginable way.”
Brown said the Pakūranga College community would be feeling the loss deeply as the school year begins.
“What should have been the excitement of a new school year has been overshadowed by heartbreak,” he said.
“Starting the year under these circumstances will be hard, but please know that support is available – the school and my office are both here for you.”
“To everyone in Pakūranga, please look after each other in the days ahead. Our community’s strength has always been in how we care for one another, and we need that now more than ever.”