A plaque has recently been unveiled at the Muriwai Beach fire station in West Auckland as a tribute to the two firefighters who tragically lost their lives during Cyclone Gabrielle as well as acknowledging the resilience of the community.
Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens, dedicated members of the Muriwai firefighting team, lost their lives doing what firefighters always do: helping other people.
A top offiicial at Fire and Emergency NZ, Piki Thomas, recalls the profound impact within New Zealand’s firefighting community.
“It was a devastating time for our firefighting community here in New Zealand, to hear of the loss of those two brave men in Muriwai.” the deputy chief executive kaupapa Māori and cultural communities says.
“In te ao Māori, we use the term ‘kapua pōuri’ (dark clouds). It certainly was a dark time for us.”
Van Zwanenberg and Stevens were called to assist at a Motutara Rd address, which had been battered by the torrential rain and 165 km/h winds of Cyclone Gabrielle.
While Stevens was rescued and taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries, Van Zwanenberg’s body was recovered two days later.
The weather event claimed the lives of 11 people throughout the country. Thomas says it’s important that people be prepared for weather events of any kind.
“For us in Aotearoa, one of the lessons we learned was to be aware of the power of mother nature.”
“A failure to learn those lessons will have ramifications for all of us.”