Cyclone Gabrielle: Body found in house after Muriwai slip, artist homeowner loses ‘everything’

The Muriwai resident who lost everything after a slip crushed her home - where a volunteer firefighter is believed to have been killed- has described the moment the slope gave way.

“Crushed in my house. I’m alive. Everything gone.”

So said artist Jennifer Mason just moments after a firefighter pulled her from the mangled home that was left.

Follow the Herald’s latest coverage of Cyclone Gabrielle here.

Firefighters were investigating the flooded house on Motutara Rd when the landslide crushed the property late on Monday evening.

Volunteer firefighter and local vet Dave van Zwanenberg went missing after the incident.

A body has since been recovered in the area where rescuers were searching for van Zwanenberg.

Aerial photographs show the extent of damage caused by a landslip at Muriwai. Photo / George Heard

One firefighter was pulled badly injured from the debris. He remained in hospital fighting for his life on Wednesday.

Emergency services decided to call off the search for their second missing colleague as the saturated land continued to move and the wind belted Auckland’s west coast.

Mason said she started screaming as the roof gave way, letting in sky and rain as she lay trapped in the rubble.

“My mouth was full of roof dust as I screamed. I realised I was under a slip.”

Muriwai resident, artist Jennifer Mason captured the destruction wrought by a landslip on her house moments after the deadly incident. Photo / Jennifer Mason

She said she awoke about 10.40pm to hear ”a deep rumbling, then in the dark, the roof fell in and I was covered in roof batons.

“Then another big crack and the floor gave way and I dropped into the concrete basement with two streams of water either side of me,” Mason said.

“The front of the house fell away and I could see a fireman with his arms open.”

Two hours later, another update: “Firefighter is missing in my house slip.”

An aerial photograps shows the extent of damage caused by the landslip at Muriwai. Photo / George Heard

Mason said she saw her destroyed home on the news yesterday morning.

“I can’t believe I survived that. It feels like a miracle.

“I’m so thankful for my life. It was such a close call.”

However, Mason’s life’s work, her belongings and her home were all claimed by the landslip and any insurance she had was unlikely to cover the losses.

Slips ravaged the small settlement on Auckland's west coast after Cyclone Gabrielle wrought havoc across the North Island. Photo / Glenn Gowthorpe

Mason’s art dealer and gallery owner Melanie Roger created a givealittle page to help her after the incident which left her traumatised.

Roger told the Herald: “We’re trying to do our best to rebuild, but she’s understandably pretty traumatised.

“This is just such a terrible time for so many people,” she said.

Roger said “every little bit [of support for Mason] is appreciated. We hope that you may be able to help in some small way. Thank you and arohanui.”

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