A gut-wrenching moment has pierced the heart of a grieving nation: rescue teams digging through the chaotic, rain-soaked rubble of the Mount Maunganui landslide have recovered the body of 15-year-old basketball prodigy Max Furse-Kee—and heartbreakingly, that of his first love, girlfriend Sharon Maccanico—buried side by side under tons of mud and debris, in a discovery that left their parents collapsing in agony at the scene.

The grim find came on Monday, January 26, 2026, as heavy machinery and Urban Search and Rescue teams painstakingly excavated the obliterated Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, four days after the catastrophic slide on January 22. Torrential downpours had turned the slopes of Mauao—an extinct volcanic cone—into a deadly avalanche of earth, rock, and water, slamming into the popular summer campground and swallowing tents, caravans, and cabins in seconds. Six lives were lost in the blink of an eye, with no survivors possible amid the suffocating weight.

Max’s body was the first formally identified, confirmed through forensic dental records at a somber coroner’s hearing in Tauranga District Court on January 28—what would have been his 16th birthday. Senior Constable Robert Stokes, from the Disaster Victim Identification team, detailed the painstaking process: the teen’s remains were located amid the chaos, extracted with care, and positively matched. His body has now been released to his shattered family for burial.

But the emotional hammer fell hardest when the discovery unfolded. Sources at the site describe parents—Hannah Furse, Max’s devoted mother, and Sharon’s heartbroken family—being notified and rushing to the cordoned-off zone. Upon seeing the stretchers emerge from the mud, carrying the young couple who had been inseparable in life, the adults collapsed in waves of uncontrollable sobs. One eyewitness recounted Hannah dropping to her knees in the rain, clutching at the ground as if willing time to reverse, screaming her son’s name into the storm. Sharon’s relatives, flown in from Auckland and with ties to her Italian roots in Picarelli, Avellino, were similarly devastated—embracing each other in a huddle of raw grief as the reality hit: their children, just 15, gone forever, found together in death as they had been in love.

Max Furse-Kee was no ordinary teen. A rising star at Pakūranga College, he dominated the basketball court with explosive talent, earning “player of the year” honors and dreams of going pro. Described by coaches as joyful, kind, and fiercely competitive, he lit up every game. Off the court, he was a devoted big brother, loving son, and grandson—his mother’s “sunshine,” as she tearfully called him in a public statement. “From the moment I first looked at his beautiful blue eyes almost 16 years ago, he had my whole heart,” Hannah wrote. “He was an incredible, kind, and beautiful human being.” She lamented the milestones stolen: no driver’s license, no 16th birthday cake, no future triumphs.

Sharon Maccanico matched Max’s light perfectly. A talented dancer at RGD studio, she was wildly gifted, kind, and deeply loved by her crew. The couple, both Pakūranga College students, were on a dreamy summer holiday with family—sharing laughs, beach days, and the pure thrill of first love. Friends say they were always together, a picture of teenage innocence and joy. Now, that bond is eternal in tragedy: buried alive under the mountain they came to enjoy.

The other victims add to the heartbreak: literacy coordinator Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, from Morrinsville; Swedish traveler Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20; and longtime friends Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler and Susan Doreen Knowles, both 71, from Rotorua and Ngongotaha, whose annual camping ritual ended in horror.

Recovery efforts remain grueling. The site is unstable—deep mud, ongoing rain, and landslide risks force pauses, with heavy machinery gingerly removing debris while experts monitor for further slips. Police shifted from rescue to recovery early, warning no one could have survived the burial. Human remains were first spotted Friday night, but the chaos delayed extractions. Teams continue “painstaking” work near the former ablution block, days of labor ahead.

Communities rally in sorrow. Givealittle pages have raised thousands for the families—Max’s to support Hannah and siblings, Sharon’s for her parents “heartbroken beyond belief.” Vigils glow with candles and flowers at the mountain’s base and Auckland’s Domain, where mourners remember Sharon’s “unforgettable smile.” Pakūranga College reels from the double loss, offering counseling as the school year begins in grief.

Questions burn amid the mourning: Were landslide warnings heeded? Had past instability alerts on Mauao been enough to safeguard the campground? Families demand transparency—why no evacuation amid heavy rain forecasts? Authorities promise a full inquiry, but for now, the focus is closure.

The image sears: two 15-year-olds, first love cut short, pulled from the mud on a day meant for celebration. Parents collapsing at the sight, dreams buried with their children. Max’s sunshine extinguished, Sharon’s dance silenced. As the mountain looms silent, the cry rises: How many more must be lost before the truth emerges?