Cyclone Gabrielle: Pregnant mother’s tribute to daughter, 2, killed when Eskdale home flooded

A 2-year-old girl died after she was swept away in the flooding in Eskdale, her mother has confirmed.

Six people have been confirmed dead in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, including the child, whose family’s home in Eskdale was flooded.

The child’s mother posted on Facebook that her youngest daughter - two and a half year-old Ivy - died in the flash flooding that “completely destroyed” their family home.

“It was an unavoidable accident and she died very quickly,” said the mother, who is pregnant.

“We are all going to need all the love we can get.”

Search and Rescue had found Ivy’s body and she was now with a coroner, she said.

“Our home, our section and all our belongings have been completely destroyed, the water was about 10cm from the ceiling in our house and rose extremely quickly and violently.

“We were unable to make it to higher ground due to a sudden torrent of water which almost drowned us all and took Ivy.”

The mother said her husband was the only reason she, their oldest child and neighbours survived.

“He is a literal f***ing hero and one day I will tell you all what he’s done.”

A Givealittle page has been set up for the family.

The page said the girl’s mother is pregnant, with the family expecting a baby in August.

“In the space of 5 mins you lost so much, beautiful Ivy, your house, your land and your belongings.

“Your love for your kids is next level, even taking them out of daycare to be able to teach and love on them even more,” the page says.

“[The family] have no home to go back to, her beautiful gardens she had worked so lovingly in to create is gone, a land full of veges and fruit to feed her family gone”.

The woman’s husband’s work was also on hold, and the family had no income, the page said.

The family plans to hold a funeral for Ivy in Napier next week.

Second firefighter dies in hospital

Meanwhile, Cyclone Gabrielle’s death toll has risen to six after a second Muriwai volunteer firefighter died yesterday.

Craig Stevens, was taken to hospital in a critical condition late on Monday night but succumbed to his injuries yesterday.

Muriwai firefighter Craig Stevens. Photo / Supplied

“We are still coming to terms with the news that Craig, our second firefighter caught in the Muriwai landslide, has died in hospital. All of Fire and Emergency will feel his loss, and my heart goes out to his family,” Fire and Emergency New Zealand chief executive Kerry Gregory said last night.

A friend of Stevens described him as someone who grabbed life with both hands and shook it into submission.

“I met ‘Rock n Roll Craig’ when he moved to Oxford, aged 16,” friend Alex Leech said.

”We went to many skateparks, saw bands, and listened to lots of music. I’m not really sure if he was like my son or my brother, but he was always my guide and mentor.

“He grabbed life with both hands and shook it into submission, no matter what the situation.”

Leech said Stevens said that his mum told him to walk into any room like he owned the place, and “he sure did do that”.

”Well stand aside Jesus, there’s a new guy in charge of heaven now.”

Authorities fear that the death toll from Gabrielle could could rise in the coming days.

“We do need to prepare for the likelihood there will be more fatalities,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins warned in a press conference yesterday.