Body of Max Furse-Kee formally identified amid search for remaining landslide victims

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

The Tauranga District Council had already announced its own independent enquiry, but the Prime Minister says there's a potential conflict given they own the campground.

A body believed to be that of Max Furse-Kee has been recovered by police from the site of the Mount Maunganui landslide.

The body was found on Monday and a forensic examination was carried out on Tuesday, which resulted in a positive identification, police said at a Coroners Court hearing on Wednesday evening.

Evidence was presented by Constable Robert Stokes, a member of the Disaster Victim Identification team, to Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley at the Tauranga Moana District Court.

Windley accepted the evidence and considered it to be “sufficient and reliable”. She said she was satisfied that the body recovered was that of Furse-Kee, 15, and said his body could now be returned to his family.

Furse-Kee was one of six people presumed dead after a massive landslide swept through the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park last week.

Mount Maunganui landslide victim Max Furse-Kee and his uncle Puvi Nadason.

Wednesday would have been the teen’s 16th birthday.

In a post shared on social media, Furse-Kee’s uncle Puvi Nadason reflected on the bond he shared with his nephew, describing him as his “best mate”, his “safe space”, and the reason he became a father.

“My boy. Today would’ve been your 16th birthday. I wanted the world to know how much you meant to me,” he wrote.

“You shaped me into the man I am today. Being your uncle was a privilege, and while people said you were lucky to have me, the truth is I was the lucky one.”

In a statement released through police, Furse-Kee’s mother Hannah Furse said her son was her “sunshine”.

“My love for Max is impossible to explain. No words are big enough to describe this love or loss,” she said.

Recovery and identification a lengthy and complex task

The major landslide swept through Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park last week, amid severe weather. Businesses near the site under a cordon were forced to close in the immediate aftermath. On Wednesday, they began reopening their doors.

The recovery and identification of Furse-Kee’s body forms part of the disaster victim identification process (DVI).

Recovering and identifying deceased can be a lengthy and complex task, and the time taken to complete the DVI process can be impacted by the number of deceased and the nature and location of the death(s).

The Coroner’s Court says that correct identification is required for legal reasons, such as criminal proceedings and the administration of estates.

New Zealand follows Interpol’s four-step DVI process, which uses both post-mortem and ante-mortem data to help identify the deceased.

The process starts with a scene phase where the deceased and their property are located and removed from the scene to a mortuary.

This is then followed by the post-mortem phase. Here the coroner may direct a post-mortem examination of the deceased. During this examination, forensic evidence, including fingerprints, DNA and photographs of tattoos and scars, may be collected to help identify the deceased.

Flowers near the cordon of the landslide.

The ante-mortem phase is next, where police may interview whānau and friends of the deceased to gather personal information such as hair colour, eye colour, descriptions of clothing and personal belongings, and distinguishing features such as tattoos and scars.

Police may also collect dental and medical records, fingerprints, DNA and personal belongings from the deceased’s home or whānau.

Finally, the reconciliation phase takes place with police comparing and reconciling post-mortem and antemortem information to identify the deceased.

This information is presented to the coroner, who, if satisfied with the information, will make the final determination as to the identity of the deceased.

The coroner may then release the body of the deceased to their whānau.

Police say they have reached the area where the ablution block was.

Good progress being made

An estimated 70 police staff are still involved in the recovery effort at the site of the landslip, with five victims still unaccounted for.

On Wednesday evening, Inspector Will Loughrin, Acting Bay of Plenty District Commander, said recovery teams are making good progress but they still have days of work ahead of them.

“Police, supported by Urban Search and Rescue and contractor drivers, have reached the area where the ablution block was, and they are continuing the painstaking effort to gently dig through the slip.

“The reason the work is so time consuming is because we are digging millimetres at a time. We can’t rush this work, and we won’t rush it,” he said.