Gloriavale folk in shock after mum of 11 drowns
THE Gloriavale Christian Community was yesterday reeling with shock after a mother of 11 from the tightknit community was drowned in floodwaters.
A source told the New Zealand Herald the woman, Rejoice Steadfast, had been watching the raging Haupiri River, which runs through the middle of the Gloriavale dairy farm, yesterday with family members when the bank collapsed and she fell in the water.
People working on the farm saw the bank collapse and the woman tumble in.
Shortly after 8am yesterday, police announced a search and rescue team had recovered the body.
Gloriavale Christian Community leader Howard Temple told the Greymouth Star they were all reeling and the dead woman’s family was stunned.
‘‘The family is . . . distraught at the present moment,’’ Mr Temple said.
Out of respect for her family, he could not divulge much about her or the circumstances of how she came to be at the river last night.
‘‘It’s unfortunate . . . it happens [but] we get on with life,’’ Mr Temple said.
Members of Gloriavale retrieved the body themselves.
The storm that pelted the West Coast on Thursday dumped half a metre of rain in some places. Two state highways were severed overnight and electricity to South Westland was cut south of Fox Glacier. Some schools were still closed yesterday, and milk tankers were unable to reach 60 farms.
State Highway 6 from Hokitika to Fox Glacier was reopened yesterday but the authorities face a much bigger headache on State highway 73 at Otira, where the Goat Creek bridge was washed out, and nearby at Yorky’s Bridge at the bottom of the Otira Gorge, where a chunk of road has gone.
The road to Christchurch will remain closed all weekend.
The headwaters of the Hokitika, Wahio and Haast rivers were receding yesterday after parts of the ranges received more than half a metre of rain, causing many roads to close overnight.
Westland District Council Mayor Bruce Smith said the weather had settled down a bit by yesterday morning.
The Hokitika River peaked about 1am at the secondhighest level in 50 years after receiving 435mm of rain, Mr Smith said.
‘‘Up at Hokitika gorge it was frightening; there was a lot of water coming through.
‘‘We were concerned about the flood wall at Hokitika [town] but it held tight.’’
The Midland Line was also closed yesterday and KiwiRail inspectors were checking the safety of the line. Tranz Alpine passengers were notified and alternative arrangements made.
Electronet chief executive Rob Caldwell said it had 74 customers without power south of Fox Glacier but he hoped they would be reconnected later today, weather and river levels permitting.
The blackout included the Bruce Bay Marae, where a Grey Main School group was trapped for a time but was out by last night.
Mr Smith said contractors were already getting stuck into clearing slips along the West Coast roads, but Goat Creek Bridge would probably take much longer.
Parts of Otago started the day with snow yesterday. The Lindis and Danseys Passes and the Crown Range Rd received snow, and it was snowing in Naseby for a stretch.
Rainfall eased around the province in the afternoon.
All southern highways were open.
Some rivers were still on the rise last night. Otago Regional Council natural hazards manager Ben Mackey said no significant flooding was expected based on forecasts, though caution should nonetheless be taken, especially around rivers and lakes that were still rising.
The NZ Transport Agency said the weather caused multiple rockfalls and surface flooding throughout Otago.
Skippers Rd is closed at the Blue Slip.
A party of Otago Boys’ High School students marooned in a school lodge on Mt Aspiring Station for an extra night of school camp after heavy rain rendered a creek impassable made it out safely by 11.30am.
The MetService is forecasting a large cell of high pressure coming in from the Tasman Sea will dramatically improve the weather across most of the coun try this weekend. There will be cold temperatures or some light rain in some areas, but nothing compared with the previous two days. — Additional reporting Greymouth Star