A woman whose house was destroyed by a deadly landslide that buried two firefighters as they desperately tried to save her property says she is totally overwhelmed and the dead man is her “hero”.

The Herald understands the two volunteer firefighters were trying to dig a trench behind the woman’s Motutara Rd, Muriwai home on Monday night to divert water after being called to the property due to flooding.

As the pair worked, a giant slab of the hillside above them gave way - inundating the property with a mountain of sodden mud and debris.

The body of Dave van Zwanenberg was pulled from the wreckage two days later. His colleague Craig Stevens was rescued and is fighting for his life in hospital.

The woman has made a heartfelt post on social media this morning, saying has been wrestling with her emotions since the disaster and knows she is lucky to be alive.

She said she was overwhelmed by the week’s events.

“I have also been processing the fact that someone lost their life in the same incident. And that another is still in critical condition.

“I am so traumatised that I am not thinking straight and definitely not articulating everything I am thinking and feeling. But I am trying.

“Honestly I don’t even know what to say. It is so incredibly horrible. This man had a family that loved him and put his life on the line to help myself and others. Words can not do justice to that and I have been extremely upset.

“Truthfully, I think I’ve been blocking it in a jumble of emotions and still held out hope that he would be ok. Sadly that has not been the case.”

Volunteer firefighter Dave van Zwanenberg lost his life in a huge Muriwai slip. Photo / Supplied

The woman said though Muriwai was a small community, she had never met van Zwanenberg but she understood he was a lovely man who was much loved by all who knew him.

“And he had a beautiful smile. I can see that in his photos.

“Myself and others in the slip can never change what happened and can never repay a loss of life, but we are all so incredibly grateful in the spirit of humanity that pulled through for us that night.

“Dave van Zwanenberg was a hero. He was my hero. R.I.P.”

Aerial photographs show the extent of damage caused by a landslip at Muriwai. Photo / George Heard

Muriwai took the full force of Cyclone Gabrielle on Monday night, being smashed by torrential rain and fierce winds.

Follow live updates of Cyclone Gabrielle here

‘Desperately trying to dig trenches to divert the water away’

Another Motutara Rd resident, who lives a few doors up from the woman’s property, told the Herald noise from the slip sounded like a low-flying jet aircraft as the land gave way.

Abe Dew understood the woman had called for help as her property flooded when water rushed down the hillside into her home.

The volunteer firefighters had been frantically digging a trench at the rear of her property. The woman had fled to a neighbour’s house across the road and watched as the hillside collapsed, destroying her home and burying the two men.

“She had called the fire brigade because of flooding in her house.

“She decided to get out and they were desperately trying to dig trenches to divert the water away.

“She saw the hill come down on the guys who were trying to dig the trench.”

Dew said his family of six evacuated their home after realising the hillside had collapsed. They grabbed sleeping bags and clothes and fled to the surf lifesaving club.

Dew said the woman was also brought to the club. She was in shock, inconsolable and “in a horrible way”.

“She’s just seen her house destroyed.”

Dew said that despite facing an unprecedented disaster, the tight-knit community had pulled together to care for affected residents.

About 250 people had sheltered in the surf club and other residents were now throwing open their homes for anyone needing somewhere to sleep.

His neighbour’s house had been destroyed and his own property was now red-stickered. He was unsure if his own family would ever return to the property, given the events of Monday night.

‘Can never repay a loss of life’: The Muriwai home owner’s full tribute

“This is a much longer post to write than my incoherent blurts and one I have been struggling with. They have really just been to let my friends know what is going on as I have been unable to communicate properly. I have been completely overwhelmed by the events this week. As I have said previously, I am lucky to be alive. I have also been processing the fact that someone lost their life in the same incident. And that another is still in critical condition. I am so traumatised that I am not thinking straight and definitely not articulating everything I am thinking and feeling. But I am trying.

Honestly I don’t even know what to say. It is so incredibly horrible. This man had a family that loved him and put his life on the line to help myself and others. Words can not do justice to that and I have been extremely upset. Truthfully, I think I’ve been blocking it in a jumble of emotions and still held out hope that he would be ok. Sadly that has not been the case.

Although Muriwai is a very small community, I never met Dave. From all accounts he was a truly lovely man. Much loved by all that knew him. And he had a beautiful smile. I can see that in his photos.

I haven’t seen a funding page for his family, but have been on the look out. I’ll post here as soon as I can and hope people may be able to support it as they have been able to for me.

Myself and others in the slip can never change what happened and can never repay a loss of life, but we are all so incredibly grateful in the spirit of humanity that pulled through for us that night.

Dave van Zwanenberg was a hero. He was my hero. R.I.P.”