Final recovery updates on the Mt Maunganui landslide 2026. Six lives confirmed lost at Mauao as the search ends and the community heals.

The search at the base of Mauao has come to a somber and final conclusion. As of February 2026, authorities have confirmed that the mission at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park has officially ended following the recovery and formal identification of the six victims. While the wider North Island storm claimed a total of nine lives, the specific tragedy at the Mount Maunganui landslide 2026 site remains one of the most concentrated losses of life in the region’s recent history.

The six individuals lost at the campground represent a heartbreaking cross-section of our community and visitors who were caught in the catastrophic slip on January 22. They have been identified as:

Lisa Anne Maclennan (50): A hero who reportedly spent her final moments waking other campers to warn them of the danger.

Sharon Maccanico (15) & Max Furse-Kee (15): Two year-11 students from Pakuranga College whose loss has devastated their school community.

Måns Loke Bernhardsson (20): A young traveler visiting from Sweden.

Jacqualine Wheeler (71) & Susan Knowles (71): Lifelong friends from Rotorua and Ngongotahā who were annual fixtures at the holiday park.

While separate tragedies in Pāpāmoa and Warkworth contributed to the total storm toll of nine, the focus now shifts to the recovery of the Mauao site itself. The Tauranga City Council has voted to launch an independent external review into the events leading up to the landslide and the stability of the walking tracks. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, after attending a community vigil, has promised a high-level government inquiry to ensure “every question is answered” for the families involved. For now, the holiday park remains closed indefinitely as a site of both ongoing investigation and deep local mourning.