What began as a late-afternoon fishing trip ended in a double tragedy when two men disappeared off a notorious rock fishing spot.

Their abandoned gear, a wet backpack and a single shoe were the first signs something had gone wrong, sparking a search that uncovered one body within days. The other went undiscovered for more than a year.

Now, a coroner has ruled the deaths of Ferzil Babu and Sarath Sasidharan Nair were a stark reminder of the extreme risks posed by rock fishing, particularly at sites with no flotation devices or safety signage.

On May 1, 2024, Babu and Nair travelled to The Gap, a narrow gully located on the Taiharuru coastline, to go fishing.

The pair had only known each other for four weeks and Babu was a keen fisherman who normally went fishing at Smugglers Cove. Nair had not been there before and neither owned life jackets.

Several of Babu’s friends were also planning to go fishing at The Gap that afternoon and arranged to meet him there.

At around 4.45pm, Nair used WhatsApp to send details of the location where he was fishing to his wife.

This was his last contact with her.

At around 5.30pm, Babu’s friends arrived at the fishing spot but did not recognise Nair’s parked car.

The sea conditions looked very rough and the friends could not see Babu.

When they called his cellphone, there was no answer. They assumed Babu had changed his mind and decided not to go fishing, so they left the area.

At around 9.30pm the men’s wives became worried after their phone calls to their husbands went unanswered.

Police were alerted and a search party later discovered a wet grey backpack, Babu’s wallet and a cellphone on the beach. The fishing gear was in the bag.

A chilly bin and a blue and white shoe were also located.

A large-scale search was conducted and Nair’s body was found on May 3 against the rocks on the side of the gully.

Fishing rods and other equipment were also located underwater in the same area.

The search for Babu was eventually called off and his remains were found by Department of Conservation workers on Coppermines Island on December 19 last year.

A coroner’s inquest was launched and in findings released today, the coroner pointed out that Northland had 16 land-based fishing-related drownings between 2011 and 2024.

The Gap is known for being dangerous and has claimed three rock fishers' lives. Photo / NZME

One of those had occurred at The Gap and all victims were male.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLNZ) submitted a report to the coroner that said rock fishing is the most dangerous environment in the country.

The organisation said The Gap was particularly hazardous and had multiple dangers, including large waves, long swell periods, strong currents and tidal action, and slippery rocks.

SLNZ noted there is no water safety signage or public rescue equipment at The Gap.

Coroner Janet Anderson said the men’s deaths were a tragedy and illustrated the need for extreme care when rock fishing and having access to flotation devices.

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In November 2025, the coroner issued her findings to Whangārei District Council with a request it consider installing safety signage and/or buoyancy aids at The Gap.

The council provided an update to the coroner in March saying signs had been installed, but they had since been removed by unknown people.

In her final report, the coroner recommended the council act urgently to reinstate the signs and endorsed the water safety sector’s five tips for safer rock fishing.

The five endorsed tips are:

Know how to float. Only go fishing from rocks if you know how to float well and always wear a life jacket and take a flotation device, like a life ring or a bucket. Life jackets will increase your chance of survival if you fall in.
Find the safest place and check conditions: tide, swell, weather, and local hazards. Always face the ocean and be alert for large waves which can knock you off the rocks.
If in doubt, stay out. If the weather or conditions look dangerous don’t go fishing, wait for another day.
Take care of yourself and others and always fish together. If something happens, the other person can help. Wear light, warm clothing, a life jacket and shoes with grip (not gumboots).
Know how to get help and always take a mobile phone.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.