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Dave van Zwanenberg was part of a crew of firefighters investigating flooding in Muriwai when a landslide occurred.
A celebration of the life of a firefighter killed by Cyclone Gabrielle will take place on Wednesday.
Dave van Zwanenberg and his colleague Craig Stevens were investigating flooding at a house on Motutara Rd – the main access into Auckland’s beachside settlement of Muriwai – on February 13 when a landslide occurred and the house collapsed.
The pair were trapped in the slip. Van Zwanenberg’s body was found two days later, while Stevens died in hospital on February 16.
A celebration of van Zwanenberg’s life is being held at Parihoa Farm in Muriwai from 2pm Wednesday.
READ MORE:
* Cyclone Gabrielle: Fallen firefighter a ‘dedicated and loving husband and father’
* Cyclone Gabrielle: What we know about the 11 people who’ve died
* ‘Utterly devastated’: Grieving widow’s tribute to firefighter killed in landslide
Hundreds are expected to attend.
Van Zwanenberg was a father of two who studied in the United Kingdom before moving to New Zealand.
He was married to Amy and they had two children.
RYAN ANDERSON/STUFF
Fire and Emergency chief executive Kerry Gregory delivered a statement about the death of Muriwai volunteer firefighter Craig Stevens.
Last week, Amy released a statement saying her husband was “first and foremost, a family man”.
“Dave was dedicated to spending quality time with his children and building a life to nurture their growth.
“We decided that Muriwai and its beautiful community was the perfect place for this,” she said.
“Monday night started out as just another occasion where Dave made sure we were settled and safe at home and headed out to join the fire brigade and help his community.
“Dave was blessed with the unique abilities, so few possess, to not only survive but thrive in extreme environments and circumstances, performing complex tasks and caring for others calmly under pressure.”
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