Sharon Maccanico formally identified as Mount Maunganui landslide victim, parents suffering ‘unimaginable pain’

Friday, 30 January 2026

Sharon Maccanico has been formally identified as a victim of the landslide that killed six people in Mount Maunganui.

The Italian national and Pakūranga College student died after a landslide swept through the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park last week.

Evidence was presented by Detective Sergeant Brent Griffiths at the Tauranga Moana District Court on Friday afternoon.

He said the body believed to be that of Maccanico was discovered at the scene of the landslide on January 26. Her body was recovered on January 28 and then examined.

Coroner Louella Dunn formally confirmed the identity of Maccanico at the Friday hearing.

“I accept the evidence provided me. I consider this evidence to be sufficient and reliable,” she said.

A Givealittle page set up for Maccanico’s family said the teen’s death had left her parents heartbroken “beyond belief”.

“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,” family friend Ashee Nind said.

In a statement, Maccanico’s parents, Natallia and Carmine, said their hearts were broken following the passing of their “beautiful daughter”.

The couple moved to Australia when Maccanico was 3, then to New Zealand when she was 8. It is here, they said, that Maccanico’s passion for dance began.

“Sharon wanted to be a professional dancer, and she would often practice for hours every day. She participated in seven solo competitions at regional and national level and won all seven,” they said.

Last year Maccanico also won an international dance competition in Belarus, with her parents supporting her all the way.

“We gave her all the support we could and were so proud to watch her work towards achieving her dreams.

“We had the most amazing relationship with Sharon, from the day she was born, she was loved by all,” they said.

Maccanico’s parents also touched on their daughter’s relationship with Max Furse-Kee, who also died in the landslide, calling him the love of her life.

“Max became a treasured part of our family, and he looked after Sharon and made her feel so special,” they said.

Earlier in the week, the identities of Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Max Furse-Key, 15, and Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50 were formally confirmed.

Maccanico’s parents said their family was “very close” and always did everything together.

“Sharon and Natallia had a bond like no other, and were best friends,” her father said.

“Sharon felt comfortable to talk to her about everything and had a very close relationship with both her parents.”

Maccanico, they said, also had an older sister in Belarus, with whom she remained in close contact and had a strong bond, while she was also very close to her family in Italy, whom she often called.

“She made so many people happy and touched so many lives. We loved that she had the ability to get along with absolutely anyone. Sharon was very well respected and had a great sense of humour.”

Two further victims have yet to be formally identified. They were believed to be Susan Doreen Knowles and Jacqueline Suzanne Wheeler.

Superintendent Tim Anderson, Bay of Plenty District Commander said the body recovery work has been a challenging operation for everybody involved.

“As this operation reaches week two, it gives a great indication of the sheer scale of what we are working with here,” he said.

The recovery and identification of the bodies form parts 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 said that correct identification was 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.