Cyclone Gabriel: Bodies seen floating in water as cyclone death toll rises fears

A man helping a chopper crew pull people from roofs in flood-hit Hawke’s Bay saw at least one corpse floating in the water and out of reach.

A young child was found dead Wednesday in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabriel, with more than 1,400 people reported missing, police said.

Thursday morning, police said a body found in the Gisborne area likely died as a result of being caught in a flood.

The number of reports included duplicate reports made by different people about the same person, many of which were believed to be the result of communication lines going down, but police confirmed they were missing. He had “serious concerns” about some.

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A total of five people were confirmed dead following the storm on Thursday morning.

Hawke’s Bay resident Kelvin Taylor and his son Kam have spent hours rescuing people from helicopters.

Cam Taylor has seen at least one dead body in the flood and is sure there are many more.

Mr. Taylor and his son, who own the Taylor Company, a leading apple grower and exporter, have accompanied the helicopter crew for the past two days.

They spent 16 hours helicoptering to rescue more than 120 people from rooftops in the Dartmoor and Waiohiki areas of Hawke’s Bay.

Kelvin-Taylor said: “One was seen floating unrescued, while others were hoisted up by a chopper and said they saw their families washed away.

“We are overwhelmed by the stories that have come out of the Esk Valley. Our neighbors found the dead body of a woman in the slush on the beach yesterday.

“We want to share these stories so that people can understand the extent of the devastation and the need for help and support.

At one point, Cam Taylor and the pilot saw a white flag sticking out of a small hole in the roof.

While the chopper was hovering above, Cam Taylor broke the roof tiles and rescued an elderly couple in their 80s trapped in a cavity in the ceiling. They dropped them on high ground, came back and repeated over and over.

“It’s devastating and totally unbelievable. People don’t realize or even imagine what’s there,” Kelvin Taylor said.

“The only comparison people can make is to think of post-tsunami Japan. That’s what Hawke’s Bay looks like here.

“The central government will have to do something about this. It’s too big for local governments and it’s going to have a huge impact on people’s mental health when they lose everything.”

The young man’s body was found in Eskdale, Hawke’s Bay, shortly before 2pm today, police said. The child was thought to have been caught in the flood on Tuesday.

A body was also found during the search. Volunteer firefighters missing in Muriwai mudslide early this afternoon.

Dave Van Zwanenberg is missing Fire and emergency services have yet to identify the body but are working to confirm its identity on Wednesday. said there is.

On Tuesday afternoon, a woman died in a mudslide on rural property on Matahorua Street in Putrino, north of Hawke’s Bay. Body found on Napier beach in Bayview In the devastation of Cyclone Gabriel.

“Police extend their condolences to the families of the deceased and continue to investigate the situation.”

Police set up a major operations center at the National Police Headquarters Tuesday afternoon as part of a mission to help people stay in touch with friends and family in areas affected by the unreachable storm.

An online 105 form was set up to register family names.

According to police, as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, 1442 people have registered those who have not been contacted through this form.

Police said there were “111 reports of being safe”, some of which were duplicate reports from the same individual, who reportedly could not be contacted.

However, police confirmed several people were missing in the eastern districts of Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti and were of “serious concern”.

Police said most of the reports were from the Eastern District, with the rest from across the North Island.

“Police Headquarters is now focusing critical support on the Eastern District as other districts affected by the storm report being able to manage their responses within existing resources.”

Police urged anyone concerned about a friend or family member to try normal contact methods first, including phone numbers, email, social media, or pre-planned emergency gathering places.

More than 70 staff were redeployed in 48 hours to Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti from the Bay of Plenty, Central, Wellington, Tasman, Canterbury and Southern districts, as well as the Royal New Zealand Police Academy.

Police said the staff will assist in the restoration work and provide a sense of security to the local community.

On Tuesday, 12 search and rescue specialists were dispatched to assist in the recovery of the eastern district.

“We are aware that many of our staff in the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne areas are affected by the storm, but we are working hard to support rescue efforts, manage road closures, and reach out to those in isolation. I am continuing.

“Communications within and outside the region continue to be difficult, but as telecommunications services begin to come back online, police will continue to monitor missing persons, found persons, damage to property, and basic resources such as: We anticipate an increase in the reported numbers of demand for: as food, water and fuel.”

At Tamaki Makaulau and Northland, the focus was on supporting the ongoing recovery.

Police continued reassurance patrols throughout the region and in the affected areas.