Morrinsville woman Lisa Maclennan, 50, is among those unaccounted for at Mt Maunganui.
“I think she saved us. We could have been asleep if she didn’t wake us up. I could have been still there sleeping when the big one came down,” he said.
The 50-year-old worked as a literacy centre co-ordinator at Morrinsville Intermediate.
“It is with great sadness that we need to inform you that one of our staff members, Lisa Maclennan (our amazing Literacy Centre tutor), is one of the people trapped in the landslide at Mount Maunganui,” principal Jenny Clark announced on social media earlier this week.
“We continue to hope and pray for Lisa,” she wrote.
The operation to recover the six missing people continues this week, following disruptions due to weather.
Recovery teams are using specialist equipment to ensure no further slips and protect worker safety at the slip site.
However, police have warned that the recovery operation could take days or even weeks.
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