A woman who was stuck between slips on a rural road in Tutira, a village to the north of Napier has been found.
Local resident and engineer Rosie Tong has been doing welfare checks on people and clearing roads around the village after Cyclone Gabrielle left them completely cut off from all sides.
Waikere Bridge was broken into pieces and connection from neighbouring cities Napier or Wairoa was lost. Access to many roads around town was still closed.
She was able to communicate through Starlink.
Tong said she read out the list of names/people trying to get in contact with loved ones at a community meeting at Waikare fire station this morning.
“When Ashleigh’s name came up she said ‘that’s me’.
“I told her she’s famous and everyone laughed, I took a selfie with her which put a smile on everyone’s face it was quite funny to be taking a selfie at this time.”
Yesterday, a distressed and anxious Abigail Neave appealed to the Herald for help in contacting her sister Ashleigh - who she had not heard from since she texted her saying a slip had blocked her on a remote road on Monday night.
Neave said her sister texted her saying she was stuck on Waikoau Rd, about 3km from Tutira, between a washed-out bridge across the Aropaonui River and the slip. Tutira is on the closed State Highway 2, about 35km from Napier.
“I don’t know anything [about where Ashleigh is]. If [the Herald] can speak to anyone there, please, surely someone will know if Ashleigh’s alright.”
Follow live updates of Cyclone Gabrielle here
This morning, Neave was relieved to find her sister was safe and well. She is now informing friends and family.
Ashleigh’s partner Micky Nixon wrote a handwritten note to inform his family in United Kingdom that he was okay.
Tong said at the meeting, the locals devised a plan, and designated crews and resources to clear side roads such as Ridge Mount Rd, Matahorua Rd, Heays Access Road, Waikoau Rd and SH2 around the lake towards Napier.
“We created a list of welfare checks to be carried out on foot.”
The matter of urgency was also for six tourists to be flown out, Tong said.
“We have six tourists wanting to be flown out- Judy Maier - Merredin WA; Steven Rose - Merridin WA; Julien Bailleul - Beauvais France; Frank Chanier - Lille France; Geoffroy Mahieux - Rivery France; Vincent Caron - Dury (02480) France.
“They are all academics on a scientific geological survey
Frank Chanier with a heart condition who takes Xarelto and has two weeks of supply left.”
The town urgently needs medications and a list was being prepared, she said.
“We need fuel, satellite communication, all kinds of batteries, LPG cylinders and generators.
“We also need urgently baby milk formula S26 stage 1 and nappies size 3 and 4.”
Tong said they had identified there was a family with a one-month-old baby on Ridgemount Rd, and a pregnant lady close to her due date.
“We have not made contact with them yet.
“We have a crew working on opening that road from today.
“We have amazing people in Clive, who have a chopper organised to leave Clive at 1pm to fly to us with supplies.
“I will try to get them our medication list in time.”
Yesterday, Tong and others were trying to clear part of State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa, she thought would be closed for weeks.
They managed to clear a path from Tutira to Waikare.
“We are trying to think of what alternative routes there are because obviously the rest of the country is like this too so we will be trying to do what we can ourselves to get through,” she had said.
At that stage, they only had one tractor to clear the path for traffic.
Tong said a majority of people in Tutira were okay and in good spirits.
“A few are stuck up on the side of roads so we can’t reach them, sadly one lady is missing in Tutira/Putorino area, very close suburbs.”