In the early hours of a fateful January morning in 2026, a massive landslide triggered by relentless heavy rain devastated the popular Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park on New Zealand’s North Island. The catastrophic event, occurring around 9:30 a.m. on January 22, sent a torrent of mud, debris, and rocks crashing into campervans, tents, vehicles, and facilities near the Mount Hot Pools, claiming the lives of six people and leaving families shattered.

Among the victims was 15-year-old Max Furse-Kee from Auckland, a bright and kind-hearted student at Pakūranga College. Max was on a cherished summer holiday with his girlfriend, 15-year-old Sharon Maccanico—also a classmate—and other families enjoying the beachside vibes during New Zealand’s peak holiday season. What began as a joyful getaway turned into unimaginable horror when the slope from Mauao (Mount Maunganui) gave way after days of record-breaking rainfall.

Max’s mother, Hannah Furse, has shared the gut-wrenching details of her final phone call with her son just before the disaster struck. In that conversation, Max—full of excitement and youthful promise—reassured his mom that he was safe and having a great time. He even made a heartfelt promise: he would bring his girlfriend home to meet the family properly once the trip ended. It was a simple, hopeful moment between mother and son, filled with love and plans for the future. Tragically, those words became the last Hannah would ever hear from him. Soon after, the landslide engulfed the area where Max and others were staying, burying them beneath tons of earth.

Rescue efforts were immediate but grueling. Emergency services had received an earlier warning about a slip near the park hours before the main collapse, yet the full scale of the danger wasn’t realized in time. Voices were reportedly heard from under the rubble in the initial hours, but silence followed as hope faded. Authorities later confirmed the six victims—Max, Sharon, teacher Lisa Anne Maclennan (50), Swedish traveler Måns Loke Bernhardsson (20), and longtime friends Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler and Susan Doreen Knowles (both 71)—were unlikely to have survived. Human remains were recovered, and the search shifted to recovery amid ongoing investigations into site safety and response protocols.

Hannah Furse described her son as an “incredible, kind, and beautiful human being” who was incredibly close to his family. He was a talented basketball player, a devoted big brother, and someone who brought light to everyone around him. He would have turned 16 that very week—a milestone now forever lost. In her statements, she expressed how life had changed “so suddenly and so completely,” urging others to cherish loved ones because everything can vanish in an instant.

The tragedy has sparked widespread grief, with thousands donating to support the families through Givealittle pages. Communities mourn two young lives cut short just as they were beginning to bloom, alongside others who had come to relax by the sea. As inquiries continue into potential warnings and campground safety, this disaster serves as a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictability and the fragility of happy moments. For Hannah and her family, the pain of that final promise lingers—a son’s hopeful words now etched in eternal sorrow.