The family presented him with the carving over the body of their father, husband and son.
"It was quite an emotional moment really."
Recently the Ashhurst man came with his family to stay at Waipatiki Beach, almost on a whim. Their plan to go on holiday in Taupo had fallen through, and the family decided at the last minute to go to Waipatiki Beach instead.
When the family arrived home a frantic search began for the lost carving.
"I pulled the car apart, I pulled the washing apart, pulled everything apart, and obviously I'd lost it in that period, in that four days in Hawke's Bay.
"I feel cold and hollow inside, because I've had it for so long and it's been part of me.
"I can't emphasis enough how much that piece actually means to me."
He has been racking his brains trying to remember the last time he had it, but is unsure, although is fairly sure he did not lose it in the water, as he does not normally wear it to go swimming.
He took to social media to see if anyone had spotted the missing carving.
"It's been pretty phenomenal, I mean, I shared it on an open post on my page and last time I looked it had just over 1500 shares.
"A lot of people have been saying it's got meaning, it'll come back, they always do."
He also told the one of the family members who had given him the carving.
"He said it will come back, because you need to have it, so it will come back."
