'She lit up the room'
Family tragedy: Vivacious, free-spirited mum dies in boating mishap
A woman who appears to have died in a boating mishap on the Coromandel is being remembered as a free spirited, vivacious person who was passionate about the environment.
The body of Asa Katarina Brink, known as Katarina, 57, was found at Wyuna Bay on Saturday morning.
Her eldest son Ridvan Solimov, 32, said it appears her death was a tragic accident.
Solimov said Brink went to her trimaran La Mereda – which she’s owned for the past six years – on Tuesday, May 31.
‘‘Unfortunately she was on her own, and it looks like there was an accident where she’s fallen into the water not wearing a life jacket.’’
She had a mooring quite a way from the shore, and she would go out on a dinghy and her family believe something happened when she was transferring from the dinghy onto the boat.
‘‘It’s a really tragic accident that should not have happened.’’
Solimov said they initially weren’t concerned they hadn’t heard from Brink.
‘‘It wasn’t uncommon for her to be somewhere out of service or just maybe negligent of her phone’s battery. She was a very free spirit.’’
However, Brink’s mother Birgitta Brink Maisey became concerned for her daughter on Wednesday, even taking a drive to see if her boat had moved on Saturday.
She was at the bay when police were there, but it wasn’t until she went to file a missing person report that day that she put twoand-two together.
Solimov said Brink was born in Sweden but moved to New Zealand when she was young, and settled in Whitianga. It was home for the past 25 years.
He said Brink was creative and loved children. She’d taught at Mercury Bay Area School and was also an author.
‘‘She started writing a teenage fiction, she wrote a couple of those and was working on a third.
‘‘But she also wrote what I think is a fantastic children’s book, Omri the Octopus.’’
In order to bring her book tours to life, she made a giant stuffed octopus to entertain the children.
Solimov said Brink was passionate about protecting the ecosystem, and was quite an activist even when she was younger.
‘‘I believe she ran for council in Auckland when she was super young, and she was also involved with Greenpeace.’’
Solimov will remember his mother as a bright light.
‘‘She lit up the room, she made you feel so good when you were around her. Like everything is fine, everything is good.’’
Brink had recently separated from Jorma Lee who was a member of the well-known Coromandel band Coroblues. They had one son James Lee, 24.
Brink often sang with the band, her niece Marika Brink said.
‘‘She was always playing her guitar and singing, she sang in bands, she was a performer. ‘‘
Marika had recently been on the boat with Brink just two weeks ago.
‘‘She was very happy, she was in such a good space, that’s how I am going to remember her.
‘‘I think if you met her once you
remembered her. I can’t imagine what her face would look like not smiling, so beautifully happy and positive.’’
Brink cared for her mother Birgitta Brink Maisey, who she saw on the Tuesday morning before leaving for her boat. ‘‘We always say, when she left, I love you. I had been unwell, and that morning, she said, ‘mum, if you get worse give me a call’. Those were her last words.’’
Brink was both daughter and best friend for Brink Maisey.
‘‘Katarina was the most wonderful daughter, she was caring for me, looking after me, making sure I was always doing well.
‘‘She was the most vivacious, wonderful girl, we got on so well and had a lot of fun.’’
Good friend Len Salt remembers Brink as a people person.
‘‘She loved animals and was a very strong supporter of animal rights, environment. She was a fabulous sailor, a very experienced sailor, and loved the sea.’’
A lasting memory for Salt of Brink is from the Tuia 250 festival in 2019 in Whitianga.
‘‘I just remember Kat being up there and singing her heart out and having a fabulous time,’’ Salt said.
A celebration of Brink’s life will take place today at the Mercury Bay Club in Whitianga at 12pm.
‘‘She was very happy, she was in such a good space, that’s how I am going to remember her. I think if you met her once you remembered her’’ Niece Marika Brink