{"id":151931,"date":"2025-11-24T23:06:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T23:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/151931\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T23:06:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T23:06:07","slug":"whanau-mourn-jason-wharerau-as-search-for-ethan-neels-continues-in-northland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/151931\/","title":{"rendered":"Wh\u0101nau mourn Jason Wharerau as search for Ethan Neels continues in Northland"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAs the wh\u0101nau of Jason Paul Wharerau, connected whakapapa, Ng\u0101ti Tautahi Te M\u0101hurehure, Te Hikutu, Te Waiariki Ngati Korora, Ngati Hau, our hearts are heavy with pouritanga [sadness].\u201d<\/p>\n

Jason\u2019s wh\u0101nau felt \u201cdeep aroha and sorrow\u201d for the loss of Neels. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was woven into his partner\u2019s wh\u0101nau through aroha and whanaungatanga,\u201d family said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan\u2019s partner has suffered the unbearable loss of both her younger brother and her beloved, in one tragic moment.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"EthanEthan Gordon James Neels, 23, has not yet been found after failing to return from a fishing trip on November 14.<\/p>\n

Jason\u2019s wh\u0101nau said their thoughts were with Neels\u2019 family. <\/p>\n

\u201cTheir mamae is immense, as they wait with hope to lay their son to rest with dignity, as every parent should be able to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cE kore e tika kia tanu ng\u0101 m\u0101tua i \u0101 r\u0101tou tamariki \u2013 as parents, we should not be placing our children into the whenua before us,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ask that Aotearoa holds our wh\u0101nau gently in your karakia, in your thoughts, and in your hearts as we navigate this profound loss together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neels\u2019 family thanked Search and Rescue and Coastguard for their ongoing support. <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you also to all the community and Jason\u2019s wh\u0101nau for their love and support through this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings us peace that Ethan found love and support from a beautiful wh\u0101nau.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police said search and rescue teams and Coastguard are continuing to sweep the sea<\/a> and shoreline in the hope of bringing Neels home. <\/p>\n

Jason\u2019s wh\u0101nau acknowledged the aroha (love), tautoko (support), karakaia (prayer) and manaaki (care) shown by Te Waiariki, Ng\u0101ti Koror\u0101, Ng\u0101ti Takapari Hap\u016b Uri Katoa, and the wider Pat\u0101ua community; as well as Jason\u2019s school kura Tamaki Primary, their own wh\u0101nau, Coastguard, Search and Rescue, police, the Royal New Zealand Navy and Surf Lifesaving.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn these moments of darkness, you have been a light that has held us.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jason\u2019s body was found in the water at Parauwanui Beach in Pat\u0101ua North soon after the runabout the pair had been travelling in was found adrift on November 15<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Enquiries into the boating tragedy were continuing and Jason\u2019s death would be referred to the coroner. <\/p>\n

A r\u0101hui remains in place until 6pm on Friday, November 28.<\/p>\n

The r\u0101hui was described as a protective measure and as a way to give space for the search effort and for the family and location to heal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It extends from P\u0101 Harakeke (also known as Goat Island found at the southern end of Ngunguru Bay) to Toka Whakapiripiri (also known as the northern rocks of Kauri Mountain Beach) and extends 500m offshore.<\/p>\n

People should refrain from swimming, boating and collecting seafood from the area until the r\u0101hui ends.<\/p>\n

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whang\u0101rei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cAs the wh\u0101nau of Jason Paul Wharerau, connected whakapapa, Ng\u0101ti Tautahi Te M\u0101hurehure, Te Hikutu, Te Waiariki Ngati…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151932,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[52495,74,806,15117,20440,96081,13982,6179,32253,2109,3087,2082,305,78,29116,75407,57387,101287,111,43,139,1067,69,10142,1870,165,12628,20838,1315,19054,101286,30859],"class_list":["post-151931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-11yearold","tag-after","tag-as","tag-boy","tag-cheeky","tag-clever","tag-continues","tag-died","tag-ethan","tag-family","tag-fishing","tag-for","tag-have","tag-in","tag-jason","tag-loving","tag-mourn","tag-neels","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-northland","tag-nz","tag-paid","tag-search","tag-their","tag-tragedy","tag-tribute","tag-trip","tag-turned","tag-wharerau","tag-whnau"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}