Mount Maunganui lifeguards getting their equipment under police supervision and with the approval and support of other organisations. Video / AckerMerc - @ackermerc
Mount Maunganui landslide victim Max Furse-Kee’s mother says the family is comforted knowing he spent his final days with his girlfriend, Sharon Maccanico, who also died in the slip.
The Pakūranga College students were holidaying together at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park with Max’s family when the deadlylandslide hit.
In a statement released via police today, his mother, Hannah Furse, said: “We take great comfort in knowing that Max spent his final days with Sharon, someone he loved so deeply, and with her family, who loved him too.”
A memorial, limited to family and close friends, will be held on Wednesday.
It will be livestreamed “for those who wish to honour Max from afar”.
“He simply went to take a shower, in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was nothing that could have prepared us for this.”
She said Max was a beautiful soul who brought “immense light, laughter, and love into our world”.
Furse said the family has been overwhelmed by the messages of love, comfort, and support that have come from across New Zealand and around the world.
She thanked everyone who had messaged and said while they cannot respond to all of the messages, “please know that we are reading them all, and they mean more to us than we could ever express”.
Furse praised those who worked on the recovery mission, including police, Fire and Emergency, machinery operators and local iwi.
“You have worked tirelessly to care for us and to bring Max home. We have seen how deeply this has affected everyone involved, and your compassion and kindness will help carry us through the days ahead.”
She said the family were not only grieving “the person we have lost, but all the milestones, memories, and future moments that will now never be”.
No words were big enough to describe the pain, she said.
Max Furse-Kee is one of the six victims of the Mount Maunganui landslide. Photo / Hannah Furse
“Please keep Max and all the other affected families in your thoughts. Love your loved ones, life can be heartbreakingly unfair.”
Sharon’s parents, Natallia and Carmine, said in a statement on Friday that Max was the love of their daughter’s life.
The remains of Mount Maunganui landslide victim Sharon Maccanico were formally identified earlier this week.
“Max became a treasured part of our family, and he looked after Sharon and made her feel so special.”
Six people were killed when the landslide came down on the Pilot Bay side of the campground, carrying with it tents, caravans and structures on January 22.
