Ariel Tagao disappearance

On the 2nd of May 2021, one of our employees from the Philippines went missing off the rocks while fishing in Raglan.

Ariel is a kind and well respected member of the Tika Interiors team, who was employed as a skilled migrant a year and a half ago. Ariel came to NZ to forge a better life for himself and his family, and support his wife, his two young children and wider family. His disappearance effects not only himself, but the well being of his family in the Philippines. Ariel has put work into our NZ economy, and I hope that we can join together to support his family with a financial gift that will help them survive in the short term. This money will be used for rent, food, bills and expenses a family incur.

As reported in Stuff:

A missing fisherman has been described as a loving husband and father.

Ariel Tagao failed to return from a trip to a treacherous fishing spot at the northern end of Ruapuke Beach near Raglan on Sunday.

Police said the man notified a friend he was going to fish off the rocks at Papanui Point and would be returning that afternoon.

His vehicle was later located in the Papanui Point car park and his belongings were found, but there was no sign of him.

His wife, Jinky Tagao, who lives in the Philippines, said the last time she spoke to the 43-year-old was Sunday around noon.

He had been in New Zealand for a year and five months, moving here in 2019 to work for their family.

She had not seen him since he left the Philippines.

The pair have been married for 14 years and have two daughters, a 9-year-old and a 1-and-a-half-year-old.

“He likes fishing, he is [a] very understanding husband, loving husband, loving father of my two daughter[s].”

She was begging people who might know anything to help.

“I am so sad … I want to see my husband, I miss him so much.”

Search and rescue efforts have been under way since Sunday and would continue, Waikato search and rescue Sergeant Vince Ranger said.

“He went missing some time during the day on Sunday, he was on the rocks fishing by himself and failed to return.”

Friends went out to check on him and found his belongings.

“The assumption is he has been washed off the rocks or fell off into the sea.”

The search on Sunday consisted of land, sea and air, with the police Eagle helicopter being used along with thermal imaging equipment.

On Monday the Coastguard was used for the sea and air searches and police searched on land, with the Raglan Surf Lifesaving Club joining the search on Tuesday.

Ranger said the search was focused around Papanui Point and the Ruapuke Rock area.

They would continue to search through to next week at this stage, he said.

Since he had taken over his role he said several people had been swept off these particular rocks, but he wasn’t sure of the exact numbers as others had gone missing before his appointment.

“There have been several washed off those rocks and died and some have not been found.

“There’s a sign saying it is dangerous, there’s always the unexpected wave that will come in, there’s always going to be a wave that’s [bigger] than another wave.”

He said if people were fishing there, they should secure themselves to the rocks, wear a life jacket and not fish alone.

Anyone who has been in the Papanui Point area since Sunday morning and has witnessed anything of note is asked make contact on 105 quoting file number 210503/2078.