Tributes are pouring in for Manitisa Pāhulu, who was swept out to sea in Auckland after a tragic incident at Piha that triggered a major land, sea, and air search last week.
As Kaniva News reported earlier, emergency services launched an extensive search operation after a man was swept off the rocks while fishing south of Piha on Sunday morning.
Police confirmed that the fisherman had been at Union Bay, Karekare, when a powerful wave knocked him into the sea at around 10.15am.
Search teams from Police, Coastguard, and Surf Lifesaving New Zealand were immediately deployed, with lifeguards scouring the coastline between Karekare Beach and Mercer Bay.
Four rescue watercraft, an inflatable rescue boat, and the Piha Search and Rescue Squad were all involved in the operation. Surf Lifesaving New Zealand said the man was washed away near Farley Point, with the alarm raised by a witness who ran to the Karekare Surf Life Saving Club for help.
Despite the intense effort, lifeguards were stood down by 1pm, although Police confirmed the operation would continue, with further searches planned for low tide later in the day.
Police also noted that the Karekare coastline is notorious for its unpredictable surges and dangerous swell, and regularly warn rock fishers to use extreme caution.
Sunday’s tragedy unfolded just hours after another water‑related emergency in the region, when the body of a missing kayaker was recovered in Waiwera, north of Auckland.
While Police have yet to release additional official details about the Piha victim, family and friends have identified him as Sione Manitisa or known to many as Manitasa Pāhulu, a Tongan resident in Auckland, according to sources who knew him well.
Although Police have not issued any official confirmation of his death, Manitisa’s relatives and friends have begun expressing their grief on Facebook, describing the situation as “seriously unexpected” and remembering him as a man of good manners who had no issues with anyone.
Relatives said he was deeply loved, and that if his disappearance is ultimately confirmed as a loss, it would leave a profound shock throughout the community.
Further updates will be provided as Police continue their investigation and search efforts along the rugged West Coast.
