In a tragedy that has ripped the heart out of an entire Auckland community, friends of 15-year-olds Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico are mourning not just two bright young lives lost, but the vibrant future the couple had dreamed of sharing – a future that included heading off to university together, chasing ambitions, and building a life side by side. Instead, a merciless landslide at Mount Maunganui on January 22, 2026, buried those dreams under tons of mud, rock, and debris, leaving classmates, teammates, and dance friends reeling in disbelief and profound sorrow.

The two Pakūranga College students – inseparable sweethearts who had been holidaying together at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park with family – were among the six victims swept away when torrential rain saturated the volcanic slopes of Mauao, triggering a catastrophic slip that roared through the popular campground at 9:30 a.m. What began as a carefree summer escape ended in unimaginable horror: caravans crushed, screams echoing, and six lives extinguished in an instant. Max’s body was recovered and formally identified on January 28 – the very day he should have turned 16 – while Sharon’s identification followed amid ongoing, rain-hampered recovery efforts.

Friends who knew the pair intimately are speaking out about the plans that death cruelly interrupted. “They were always talking about the future,” one close classmate shared in a tearful social media post circulating widely. “University was next – they wanted to go together, study what they loved, travel, maybe even start something of their own. Max was so excited about rugby scholarships or whatever came his way, and Sharon dreamed of dancing professionally or teaching. They had it all mapped out. And now… nothing.” Another friend from Pakūranga College added: “They were the couple everyone envied – supportive, fun, full of plans. ‘We’ll do this together,’ they’d say. The future was wide open in front of them. This landslide didn’t just take their lives; it stole everything they were building toward.”

Max, a devoted rugby player for the Pakuranga United Rugby Club, was remembered by teammates as energetic, kind, and always lifting others up on and off the field. Sharon, a gifted hip-hop dancer who had competed internationally and was a core member of Auckland’s dance scene, was described as wildly talented, fiercely kind, and deeply loved by her studio family. The two complemented each other perfectly – his steady warmth balancing her vibrant energy – and their bond was the stuff of teenage dreams. Classmates recall how they’d walk the halls hand-in-hand, sharing inside jokes, planning weekend adventures, and whispering about post-high-school adventures. University applications were on the horizon; conversations about campuses, degrees, and shared apartments filled their chats. “They were going to conquer the world side by side,” a mutual friend lamented. “Seeing them together made you believe in forever. Now forever is gone.”

The devastation has united the Pakūranga College community in grief. The school issued a statement confirming the loss of two beloved students, noting that support teams are working around the clock as the new school year begins under a cloud of sorrow. Vigils have sprung up across Auckland – candles flickering at Auckland Domain for Sharon, floral tributes and rugby jerseys laid at Pilot Bay near the disaster site, and tearful gatherings where friends share stories of laughter, late-night texts, and big dreams. Fundraising pages for both families have surged past tens of thousands in donations within days, with donors leaving messages like “For the future they deserved” and “Rest easy knowing you inspired so many.”

Social media is flooded with raw tributes. On Instagram and Facebook, classmates post photos of Max in his rugby kit grinning ear-to-ear, Sharon mid-dance routine radiating joy, and the two of them together at school events or beach days. “They had so much ahead – uni, careers, maybe even a family one day,” one viral comment reads. “This isn’t fair. They were supposed to grow old together.” Hashtags like #MaxAndSharon and #PakurangaForever trend as strangers and friends alike grieve the stolen potential: no freshman dorm move-in, no graduation caps tossed in the air, no late-night study sessions turning into adventures.

The landslide’s brutality has left scars beyond the families. Police shifted from rescue to recovery within days, citing impossible survival odds under the debris weight. Search teams battled unstable ground and relentless rain to retrieve remains, with Max’s identification bringing partial closure to his loved ones – though the pain remains excruciating. Sharon’s dance company and friends continue to hold space for her memory, emphasizing her kindness and talent that lit up every room.

As New Zealand grapples with questions about campsite safety on volcanic terrain and extreme-weather warnings, the focus for those who knew Max and Sharon remains intensely personal. They weren’t just victims; they were a couple on the brink of everything – university doors swinging open, futures expanding endlessly. Friends vow to honor them by living boldly, chasing dreams in their memory, but the ache is palpable: two teens who planned to face the world together had that world ripped away before they could even begin.

In the shadow of Mauao, where mud still clings to the cordons, the loss feels eternal. A bright light snuffed out. A shared future erased. And a community left whispering the same heartbreaking truth: they were supposed to have more time.