Auckland floods: Man who died in Remuera landslip named as museum volunteer Dave Lennard

The man who died after his home was hit by a landslip on Friday evening in Remuera during the height of the Auckland floods was Dave Lennard.

He is being remembered as a respected mechanical expert and long-time volunteer at the city’s Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).

Emergency services rushed about 7.30pm to his home in Shore Rd after it was hit by a slip in the middle of a torrential downpour in which 180mm of rain fell in four hours - three Januaries worth.

The home in Shore Rd Remuera on Saturday, two days after it was destoryed by a landslide during the flood. Photo / Alex Burton

The Herald understands Lennard’s son, who was also in the house at the time, managed to escape despite being initially trapped by one of his legs.

The son, who was near the front door when the landslip occurred, then tried in vain to find his father.

Lennard’s family have declined to comment. His body took some time to find.

Dave Lennard (right) and Tony Messenger working on new aluminium panels for Wanganui tram trailer No.21 at Western Springs Tramway. Lennard died in a landslip in Remuera on Friday. Photo / Supplied

A tribute posted by a friend on social media said he had spent more than 20 years as the “mechanical Mr Fix-it” for the museum’s Western Springs Tramway.

“If something needed repair or reproduction, he would work out how to make it from raw or repurposed materials and persist with determination,” the tribute said.

Dave Lennard with part of a dome he made for the Wanganui tram trailer No.21. He was one of the Western Springs Tramway volunteers at MOTAT. Photo / Supplied

The many projects he worked on included the restoration of the Wanganui tram trailer No. 21 and the Baldwin Steam Tream No. 100.

“His legacy will live on in the many projects he worked on including 21 and 100 and the many friendships he made.”