Cyclone Gabrielle: Flags at half-mast for Muriwai firefighter Dave van Zwanenberg

Thursday, 16 February 2023

Flags at fire stations around the country are flying at half-mast after volunteer firefighter Dave van Zwanenberg died in a landslide caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Dave van Zwanenberg​ was part of a crew of firefighters investigating flooding at a house on Motutara Rd – the main access into the small, beachside settlement of Muriwai – when a slip occurred and the house collapsed late on Monday night.

On Wednesday, Fire and Emergency confirmed they were able to recover a body from the landslide.

On Thursday morning, fire stations around the country had their flags flying at half-mast in van Zwanenberg’s honour.

**READ MORE:

* Cyclone Gabrielle: The human toll of the widespread devastation

* Cyclone Gabrielle: Fears cyclone death toll will rise, as bodies seen floating in water

* Cyclone Gabrielle: Body seen in floodwaters, fears of more deaths than confirmed four

**

“My heart goes out to his family and to his friends and colleagues in the brigade,” Fire and Emergency chief executive Kerry Gregory said.

“His death is being felt by our Fire and Emergency whānau right across the country.

“We are working closely with police as they lead the formal procedures that are required when someone dies in these circumstances.”

Van Zwanenberg worked as an equine vet at the rural clinic Vets North and was a pilot and a father of two young children.

Van Zwanenberg studied in the United Kingdom before moving to New Zealand.

He previously wrote an ‘ask the experts’ column for Horse and Pony magazine.

Vets North partner Mark Young declined to comment when contacted on Tuesday afternoon, other than to say “we're just devastated”.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown released a brief statement about van Zwanenberg’s death on Twitter.

“I was deeply saddened to learn that the firefighter, who put himself at risk for others, lost his own life. He’s a hero,” he said.

“My sympathies go out to his whānau and friends, the community of Muriwai and emergency responders who tried so hard to save one of their own.”

Another firefighter, Craig Stevens, was critically injured in the slip.

He remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Many Muriwai residents have been evacuated due to the slips.

They are now staying at The Trusts Arena in Henderson, which has been turned into an evacuation centre.