{"id":217345,"date":"2026-01-05T05:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T05:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/217345\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T05:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T05:25:13","slug":"my-final-gift-from-you-grieving-partner-gives-birth-to-sand-dune-tragedy-victim-kane-watsons-baby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/217345\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018My final gift from you\u2019: Grieving partner gives birth to sand dune tragedy victim Kane Watson\u2019s baby"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cWelcome to the world little man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">In an earlier interview with the Herald, Cooke said the baby was due on January 1, 2026 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/sand-dune-givealittle-battle-fund-freeze-extended-judge-refuses-request-for-suppression\/premium\/WSRJIAM7UJFW5GEEZO7RLI3SBY\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/sand-dune-givealittle-battle-fund-freeze-extended-judge-refuses-request-for-suppression\/premium\/WSRJIAM7UJFW5GEEZO7RLI3SBY\/\">the day that would have been Watson\u2019s 29th birthday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\" Kane Watson\u2019s grieving partner has welcomed their second baby into the world, Zire-Kane (inset) \u2013 a day after what would have been his 29th birthday. Photo \/ Supplied\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/> Kane Watson\u2019s grieving partner has welcomed their second baby into the world, Zire-Kane (inset) \u2013 a day after what would have been his 29th birthday. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">A scan after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/givealittle-wars-pregnant-partner-of-man-killed-in-sand-dune-excluded-from-receiving-any-donations\/AGGYOSTEOZE25EOPUHYAEBOUTU\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/givealittle-wars-pregnant-partner-of-man-killed-in-sand-dune-excluded-from-receiving-any-donations\/AGGYOSTEOZE25EOPUHYAEBOUTU\/\">Watson lost his life had revealed the baby<\/a> was going to be a boy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Cooke also revealed to the Herald in October, he would be named Zire; a name they had chosen together if the baby was a boy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Kane would be added as a tribute to the father the baby would never get to meet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Among posts featuring photos of Zire-Kane sleeping and pictured with his older siblings, Cooke has also written a heartfelt tribute about her partner of more than two years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cI miss you more than anything, I wish more than everything you could be here, to meet our baby and to watch our daughter become a big sister, to see how awesome our big kids are,\u201d Cooke wrote.<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\"Kane Watson was killed when a sand dune collapsed on him at Muriwai Beach. Photo \/ Givealittle\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/>Kane Watson was killed when a sand dune collapsed on him at Muriwai Beach. Photo \/ Givealittle<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cLife is so chaotic and I wish you were here to help me through it, to keep me calm and grounded, but even with all the chaos and never having a moment of peace, your absence is always noticed, the house can be so loud and busy but the sound of your voice constantly singing or whistling is always missing. I will forever long for you and miss you more than anything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cI love you my beautiful man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">How trip to beach turned into tragedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">The last thing a pregnant Cooke told her partner was \u201cI love you\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">She also took a photo of Watson as he dug in a sand dune.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">The family\u2019s impromptu <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/topic\/muriwai\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">family trip to Muriwai Beach<\/a> on August 23 turned to despair when a sand dune collapsed, burying Watson and inflicting injuries that would see him die in hospital two days later.<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\"Jasmine Cooke has been left heartbroken after the death of her partner Kane Watson after a sand dune collapsed on him at Muriwai Beach. Photo \/ Supplied\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/>Jasmine Cooke has been left heartbroken after the death of her partner Kane Watson after a sand dune collapsed on him at Muriwai Beach. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Cooke was on top of sand dunes taking photographs of the setting sun when she told her beloved 28-year-old partner &#8211; down below digging in the sand &#8211; it was time to head home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cHe turned around from inside the hole, and he was just smiling at me as he always was and I yelled out that I loved him,\u201d Cooke told the Herald in an interview in October.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cSo, I walked back down to the bottom of the sand dune and just as I got back down to the bottom of it, my 10-year-old sister yells out, \u2018Kane\u2019s buried\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cI ran over, I gave her the baby and it\u2019s only his feet sticking out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Both Cooke and her 9-year-old son started trying to dig Watson out from under 2m of sand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">The 10-year-old ran to get help, while frantic calls to 111 were made.<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\"Jasmine Cooke and Kane Watson had agreed on baby names prior to the young dad's death. Photo \/ Supplied\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/>Jasmine Cooke and Kane Watson had agreed on baby names prior to the young dad&#8217;s death. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Cooke said other beachgoers rushed to help; including a teen who had been riding a dirt bike nearby, and two men in their mid-30s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cEvery time you touch any bit of sand at that point, it\u2019s just caving in on itself more,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/muriwai-beach-dune-death-warning-signs-go-up-after-kane-watson-buried-in-sand\/MSFWFP6ES5BRXB3OSMRTIP73WE\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watson was unresponsive when he was rescued<\/a>, with the two men starting CPR immediately.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Local volunteer firefighters took over the CPR mission when they arrived soon after.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cThey were all so amazing,\u201d Cooke said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cThey just worked so freaking endlessly, trying to bring him back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\"Emergency services at the scene of where Kane Watson suffered fatal injuries. Photo \/ Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/>Emergency services at the scene of where Kane Watson suffered fatal injuries. Photo \/ Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Their efforts were successful, managing to restart Watson\u2019s heart near where he had been buried.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">He was later airlifted to hospital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">But Cooke \u2013 who turned 29 in the week leading up to the tragedy &#8211; realised the prognosis was \u201cgrim\u201d and Watson died on August 25.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Coroner\u2019s report: Injuries unsurvivable, warning about sand dune digging<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/auckland\/auckland-sand-dune-tragedy-kane-watsons-injuries-were-unsurvivable-coroners-report-finds\/D2QFCCL4XVENDJW5S5JK36GBAU\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/auckland\/auckland-sand-dune-tragedy-kane-watsons-injuries-were-unsurvivable-coroners-report-finds\/D2QFCCL4XVENDJW5S5JK36GBAU\/\">Last month, Coroner Ian Telford released<\/a> his findings into Watson\u2019s death, saying the young dad\u2019s injuries were not survivable despite efforts to save him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">He wrote that \u201cdespite prolonged resuscitation and advanced medical care, it became clear\u201d that the young dad\u2019s injuries \u201cwere not survivable\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\"A new set of warning signs at the site of the Muriwai Beach sand dunes death. Photo \/ Sarah Bristow\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/>A new set of warning signs at the site of the Muriwai Beach sand dunes death. Photo \/ Sarah Bristow<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">The coroner pointed to complications of cardiac arrest, entrapment and asphyxia as the cause of Watson\u2019s death <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/topic\/muriwai\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/topic\/muriwai\/\">after the incident at Muriwai Beach<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Pathologist Dr Michael Duffy\u2019s report included in the coroner\u2019s findings explained: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/young-father-with-baby-on-way-dies-in-sand-dune-collapse-at-muriwai-beach\/UNY6PNSONBEDTDDO52UYZ5WZXU\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Being trapped in sand in this manner<\/a> can make it extremely difficult to breathe and cause sand to enter the lungs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cThe weight and pressure from the sand can also prevent the lungs from expanding properly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cWithout enough oxygen, the heart can stop, and once the heart stops pumping, vital organs quickly become damaged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">Duffy said in this case, the \u201cprocess led to brain swelling, injury to the liver and kidneys, and reduced heart function\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img  alt=\" Baby Zire-Kane was born on January 2, just a day after what would have been the 29th birthday of his father Kane Watson (inset) who tragically lost his life in a sand dune collapse. New Zealand Herald composite photo\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/> Baby Zire-Kane was born on January 2, just a day after what would have been the 29th birthday of his father Kane Watson (inset) who tragically lost his life in a sand dune collapse. New Zealand Herald composite photo<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">The report also stressed the danger regarding the stability of sand dunes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cDunes can become unstable without warning. Even small tunnels or cavities may collapse, leading to serious injury or death,\u201d the coroner said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cAs we approach the summer season, it is important that beachgoers \u2013 especially those supervising children \u2013 are aware of these risks, avoid digging into dunes, and seek emergency assistance immediately if anyone becomes trapped.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/author\/neil-reid\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Neil Reid<\/a> is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vUWuwjCGukMuO\" style=\"display:none\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/the-daily-h-your-fast-smart-guide-to-the-days-biggest-headlines\/VQR5CULLQRECZP2ORSWPGDORBU\/?utm_source=nzherald&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_id=nz_cta\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nzherald.co.nz\/nz\/the-daily-h-your-fast-smart-guide-to-the-days-biggest-headlines\/VQR5CULLQRECZP2ORSWPGDORBU\/?utm_source=nzherald&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_id=nz_cta\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up to The Daily H<\/a>, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWelcome to the world little man.\u201d In an earlier interview with the Herald, Cooke said the baby was&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":217346,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[85380,74,6794,1558,15316,6325,49476,5904,71,21932,20733,62821,305,42,296,26502,4977,43,5502,2751,8466,165,61,40,38,41,39,12628,1337,59863,1849,6923,377,6730,197],"class_list":["post-217345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-29th","tag-after","tag-baby","tag-been","tag-birth","tag-birthday","tag-dune","tag-final","tag-from","tag-gift","tag-gives","tag-grieving","tag-have","tag-headlines","tag-into","tag-kane","tag-my","tag-news","tag-partner","tag-sand","tag-second","tag-their","tag-to","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-tragedy","tag-victim","tag-watsons","tag-welcomed","tag-what","tag-world","tag-would","tag-you"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217345","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=217345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}