By PATRICK GOWER
The words "missing, presumed drowned" rang through Leo Maddren's mind when he gave up waiting for the body of his son Vaughan to wash ashore.
Vaughan Leon Maddren, aged 26, has been missing since last Wednesday, when he was tipped out of his kayak in choppy seas at Kawakawa Bay, 10km from Clevedon in Manukau City.
He was not wearing a lifejacket.
A Kawakawa Bay shopkeeper saw him struggling to get back on his kayak about 4.50 pm.
She alerted a boatie, who was about to attempt a rescue when the kayaker's belongings washed ashore nearby.
"The kayak arrived, the paddle arrived - everything arrived except my kid," Mr Maddren said. "It must have just come up too rough with all the gusty wind that day ... And that was it."
A search involving police and coastguard helicopters and boats failed to find Vaughan's body that evening.
Family, friends and workmates have given up hope he is alive, but have continued to look for his body.
Like his body, the family are now also lost, unable to release a death notice until the coroner has officially declared him dead.
"My wife knows her baby's name has been released, but until she sees it she won't accept it," Mr Maddren said.
Their son had taken the afternoon off from his job at Manukau City Hardwarehouse and returned to his family's Papakura home, telling his mother, Tiny, that he was off to fish for kahawai, John Dory and snapper from his kayak.
Vaughan Maddren was the youngest of five children.
Along with fishing, he enjoyed kickboxing, indoor cricket and listening to bfm through the "boom box" of his treasured Nissan Skyline.
"I must admit we couldn't stand his music a lot of the time," Mr Maddren said. "But every now and then he'd ring up and ask them to play a bit of Johnny Cash for his old man, and that was all right."
Vaughan had just spent his 26th birthday deep-sea fishing off Whakatane.
He left most of the haul for his workmates at Hardwarehouse, with a note that said:
"Take what you want, but don't be greedy."
Grieving parents keep vigil for kayaker
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.