Landslide Claims Lives as Warning Signs Go Unheeded at Beachside Park

A devastating landslide struck Mount Maunganui’s Beachside Holiday Park on March 14, 2024, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. Despite early warning signs indicating potential danger, no evacuation orders were issued prior to the catastrophic event. The landslide occurred around 9:30 AM following heavy rainfall, which had already caused several smaller slips on the mountain earlier that day.

As early as 5:00 AM, campers and local residents began noticing alarming signs of instability on the hillside. Among them was Lisa Maclennan, a teacher from Morrinsville, who observed the ground above her camping site beginning to crumble. Maclennan took it upon herself to warn fellow campers, going tent to tent to advise them to move away from the base of the mountain. Tragically, she later became one of the landslide’s victims.

Camper Lance Macfarlane, who was asleep in a tent with his daughter when Maclennan alerted them, expressed his gratitude, stating, “I think she saved us. We could have been asleep if she didn’t wake us up.” Macfarlane noted that Maclennan urged others to relocate, remarking on her heroic efforts to prevent further casualties.

Local resident Alister McHardy also noticed the increasing risk. Shortly before 6:00 AM, McHardy observed significant slips on the mountain and promptly contacted emergency services. His call to 111 at 5:47 AM reported the situation to operators, emphasizing the proximity of early-morning walkers. He was informed that the matter would be referred to the Tauranga City Council, the landowner of the park.

According to Megan Stiffler, Deputy National Commander of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the organization received a report about a slip at 5:48 AM but deemed it not to have impacted life or property, thus opting not to deploy firefighters to the scene. Instead, they notified the local council.

Warnings continued to mount throughout the morning. At 7:35 AM, McHardy documented a photo of the hillside showing freshly collapsed earth, while fellow camper Paul Leslie reported seeing muddy water flowing behind the park’s facilities hours before the landslide. Local resident Colin McGonagle also noted signs of danger, describing the hillside as “really wet” and that “it was like a wall was moving.”

Despite these observations, no evacuation order was issued. At 8:02 AM, Tauranga City Council announced via social media that Mauao’s tracks were closed for the day due to large slips. Still, the Beachside Holiday Park and Mount Hot Pools remained operational, and reports indicated that not all trails were fully closed until 8:56 AM.

As warnings proliferated, people continued their morning routines until the landslide struck, crushing a toilet block, tents, and caravans. Survivors reported hearing screams from beneath the debris. Australian tourist Sonny Worrall, who was swimming nearby, described the moment as terrifying, stating, “I heard this huge landslide behind me, trees cracking, and there was a caravan that almost hit me. I was just fearing for my life.”

Canadian tourist Dion Siluch experienced similar chaos, recalling that the building he was in began shaking violently. “It was a massive disaster,” he noted, capturing footage of the scene as muddy water surged through the area.

Witnesses to the landslide described it as a sudden and violent event, with meteorologists indicating that the region was experiencing its wettest 24-hour rainfall on record. Currently, six individuals remain missing, with their families devastated by the ongoing search efforts. The missing persons include Sharon Maccanico, 15; Susan Knowles, 71, from Rotorua; Lisa Maclennan, 51, from Morrinsville; Måns Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden; Jacqualine Wheeler, 71, from Rotorua; and Max Furse-Kee, 15, from Auckland.

The tragedy highlights the critical importance of timely evacuations and the need for adequate responses to early warning signs in natural disaster situations. The community grapples with the aftermath of this disaster, mourning the lost lives and supporting the ongoing rescue efforts for those still unaccounted for.