What we know about the people lost in the Mount Maunganui landslide

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Last week, a major landslide ploughed through part of Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, leaving six people - two Auckland teenagers, a Swedish tourist, two long-time friends and a Morrinsville teacher - presumed dead.

Here’s what we know about them.

Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico

Auckland students Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico were both 15, teenagers full of promise whose lives were cut short by the tragedy.

Max was just days away from his 16th birthday and was remembered as a bright, gentle and deeply loved boy - a son, nephew, friend, teammate and boyfriend.

His mother, Hannah Furse, said in a statement shared by police, “My love for Max is impossible to explain. No words are big enough to describe this love or loss. He was my sunshine.”

Friends of Max’s family set up a fundraiser to support his mother and their wider whānau, with more than $24,000 donations pouring in within hours.

Sharon Maccanico, an Auckland teenager originally from southern Italy, was remembered as a “beautiful, kind and talented soul”.

“Sharon was the apple of her parent’s eye and having her taken so suddenly from them during these events has caused unimaginable pain and grief that no parent should have to endure,” a fundraiser set up for her whānau said.

“While nothing is ever going to make this right, we want to be able to provide practical support for [Sharon’s family], so that they can take the time to grieve without the added pressure of worrying about finances,” the fundraiser said.

Pakūranga College confirmed two of its students - Sharon and Max - were among those presumed dead in the tragedy.

Sharon was also fondly remembered by Howick Intermediate School where she had been a student in 2022 and 2023.

“Sharon was very involved in dance, participating in many groups and performances,” the school said.

Tributes flowed from Auckland’s dance community, with Identity Dance Company describing her as “wildly talented, kind and so deeply loved”.

News of Sharon’s death was also felt far from New Zealand.

Local Italian media reported in Picarelli, the small Italian town where she was born, locals gathered at the church as word reached them from New Zealand.

At just 12 years old, Sharon had already competed on the international stage, placing ninth at the Hip Hop World Championships in Arizona in her first year of competition.

Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, from Morrinsville

Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, of Morrinsville, was remembered as “a hero” after waking fellow campers in the early hours of Thursday morning to warn them the hillside above the camp ground was becoming unstable.

Camper Lance Macfarlane told the NZ Herald he and his daughter were asleep in their tent when Maclennan knocked around 5am and warned them to move.

“I think she saved us. If she hadn’t woken us, we could have still been asleep when the big one came down,” he said.

Maclennan, who was staying in a campervan nearby, told Macfarlane her vehicle had already been struck by a smaller slip during the night. She knocked on all doors and went tent to tent warning people to move away from the base of the mountain.

“She was warning everyone,” Macfarlane said. “She told me that if she didn’t wake us and something happened, it would stay with her forever.”

Maclennan was a much-loved literacy centre tutor at Morrinsville Intermediate School, where staff paid tribute to her dedication and care for others.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you that one of our staff members, Lisa Maclennan, is one of the people trapped in the landslide,” the school said. “Our love and aroha go out to Lisa’s family at this incredibly difficult time.”

A family member set up a Givealittle page to support her whānau, raising more than $6000 within a few hours.

Susan Doreen Knowles and Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler

Lifelong friends Susan Knowles and Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler were camping when the landslide struck, ending a summer ritual the pair had shared for many years.

Friends say the two women returned to Mount Maunganui every summer to spent weeks at the campground they loved.

Originally from Ngongotahā, Knowles worked as a property manager with Eves Real Estate and had been involved in management and property ownership since her early adulthood.

She was passionate about horse riding and was deeply devoted to her family.

Her friend Alison Holtom came to the site of the tragedy to lay flowers in Knowles’ memory.

“Sue and Jackie would stay here for about a month every year,” Holtom said. “They always rented a caravan. It was just their thing.”

Holtom said Knowles was someone who stayed with you long after a conversation ended.

“Sue was just an absolute delight … beautiful smile. Just the loveliest lady, honestly just the loveliest… she always greeted everyone, ‘How are you, blossom?’ That’s what she always said.”

Jacqualine Wheeler from Rotorua was the founder of Colour Concepts, an interior design business she and her husband Terry established in 2002.

The family-run business later welcomed their daughter as a key member of the team.

Kahukura Rugby and Sports Club paid tribute to both families in a Facebook post, saying Wheeler’s husband, Terry, had a long-standing involvement with the club, and acknowledging Susan Knowles’ husband, Robin, a former club captain.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said the loss had been keenly felt across the community.

“They’re good friends of friends,” she said. “They are parents, they are grandparents, and we’re just absolutely devastated for their families and all the families involved.”

Måns Loke Bernhardsson

Police have identified one of the victims as 20-year-old Swedish national Måns Loke Bernhardsson.

Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier confirmed that a Swedish citizen was among those missing following the landslide.