Tragedy blights pilgrimage to spiritual cove

By ALISON HORWOOD

The young cousins swept to their death by a freak wave in North Taranaki were making a family pilgrimage to the spiritual place of their grandmother's childhood.

Val Chapman said her granddaughter, Jessica Chapman, aged 6, and her 7-year-old cousin, Raniera Whaitiri, were the third generation to camp at Tongaporutu, an isolated cove 58km northeast of Waitara.

"I went there as a child. As an adult my husband and I took our children, including Darryl.

"In the past few years he continued the family tradition by returning with Jessica and his three other children.

"It was a beautiful place and still is ... What happened was a freak accident."

More than 40 whanau kept a vigil in the hall at Tongaporutu last night, waiting for the sea to give back the bodies of Jessica and Raniera.

Land and aerial searches will continue at low tide this afternoon.

Jessica and Raniera, both from the Waikato, and their two older brothers were playing on the sand on Tuesday morning when a big wave swept them into turbulent seas.

Mrs Chapman said Jessica's sisters, Tara, 14, and Bianca-Jade, 12, watched as their little sister was claimed by the sea.

"They saw everything. They raised the alarm."

Jessica's parents, Darryl and Gail Chapman, risked their lives rescuing two of the boys, but were forced from the water before they could find Jessica and Raniera.

The area has special significance for Maori.

According to legend, the Ngati Tama waka Tokomaru landed at the mouth of the Tongaporutu River and the surrounding cliffs were bestowed by ancestral navigator Whatonga as his canoe Kurahaupo was driving into a southerly gale.

Mrs Chapman, who will leave Ohura today to support her family in Taranaki, said Jessica was a good swimmer who spent a lot of time in the sea and their backyard pool.

"Jessica was the most beautiful girl you have ever seen. She was a lovely little thing."

Raniera's father and grandparents arrived at the hall to join in prayer last night after bad weather hindered a flight from their home in the Chatham Islands.

A neighbour from the Chathams said the close-knit family were "absolutely cut up" by the tragedy.

"The boy's father heard one of his sons had drowned and they rushed for the next flight without knowing what was going on or which child it was."

Raniera lived in Te Kauwhata but often visited his whanau in the Chatham Island settlement of Kaiangaroa.