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By Lucy Xia of 

A man who went missing after being swept away at Mahurangi River, north of Auckland, was a migrant worker from Kiribati.

His wife is hopeful that he will survive with his strength, wisdom and familiarity with the water.

About 20 people, drones, helicopters and whitewater rafts were searching for the man until evening on Wednesday, and police said they would resume their search on Thursday after water dropped to a safe level.

His wife said her husband, 47, was a fisherman back home in Kiribati. They had moved to New Zealand in 2023 with their four children.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said her husband and her nephew – who had just moved to New Zealand in December – were taking their usual route to work in Warkworth early morning when they were swept away by water on Falls Rd.

Police and emergency services are continuing the search with helicopters and rafts. Photo / Lucy Xia, RNZ

Both worked at Southern Paprika, a company specialising in growing greenhouse vegetables.

The woman said she was still sleeping when the police and her nephew, who managed to get to land, came knocking at the door.

“The police came with my nephew. I don’t know how I feel … it’s horrible when I … I think I lose my breathing,” she said of hearing the news.

“I just have time to grab my nephew, and hug him strongly and I thank God for keeping him alive,” she said.

The woman said both her husband and her nephew had fallen into the water with the vehicle, and her husband had pushed her nephew so that the young man could grab on to a branch, but did not manage to get back to land himself.

“When [the nephew] held on the branch, he called, ‘Uncle, please come and grab on my leg and both go to the land.’

“Then [my] husband tried to grab, but then he knows that he’s so heavy, because he’s bigger than his nephew. I think like, when he saw his nephew like that, he didn’t want to pull him back, so he untied his hand and says ‘Go on, go and find life, while I’m going to swim this way and find another branch’.”

About 20 rescuers, drones and a helicopter are searching the Mahurangi River. Photo / Lucy Xia, RNZ

The woman said she was hopeful that her husband would survive and be found.

“I know his personality is strong, wise, according to his decisions with the community and the church community, and he’s religious.”

She said he was a fisherman in Kiribati and knew how to swim, had seen big waves, been in canoes and knew how to dive.

The woman said she was at home supporting her four children on Wednesday to give them courage to face the traumatic event. She said she and her nephew, and another family member, would continue to search for her husband.

Fire and Emergency were called to the rescue at a river crossing on Falls Rd – near the intersection with Woodcocks Rd – about 7.51am on Wednesday.

Police night shift staff conducted checks in the area overnight, but were unable to locate the man.

A police search and rescue would redeploy to the area on Thursday once water levels had subsided and it was safe to continue searching.

An Eagle helicopter was also expected to do a flyover of the river.

Police were in contact with the man’s family.

“We acknowledge they must be going through a very uncertain and upsetting time while he remains missing,” Waitematā North Police Senior Sergeant Carl Fowlie said.

“Our thoughts are with them.”

On Thursday, a resident of the area said the crossing could be dangerous.

“When people go to drive straight, but it’s got a curve in the bridge, in the ford, that’s what gets you into danger because the wheels go off one side, then the flow of the water will just carry them away,” Dawn Ferguson said.

Ferguson said she was devastated to hear what happened.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said he was alarmed to hear of the disappearance.

About 20 people were involved in the search on Wednesday, including firefighters, police officers and whitewater rafters.

-RNZ