The theft of two plaques installed at an east Auckland beach to honour the memory of three young drowning victims has sparked outrage in the local community.
The two plaques were attached to a large memorial rock that sits on grass in front of the Howick Volunteer Coastguard building at Howick Beach.
They were installed to commemorate the tragic deaths of brothers Rex Edward Goddard, 13, and Richard Keith Goddard, 11, and their friend Richard Hugh Williams, 16.
The trio had gone out fishing at Howick Beach in their dinghy on July 15, 1956.
When they didn’t return members of the local community went out to search for them, but they were too late. The boys had drowned when their dinghy capsized.
The tragedy sparked the formation of organisation that became the Howick Volunteer Coastguard.
The inscription on the top plaque reads: “To the memory of Richard Hugh Williams, Rex Edward Goddard, Richard Keith Goddard, accidentally drowned 15th July 1956.”
The wording on the bottom plaque states: “This tragic accident started a major community effort which resulted in the formation of the Howick Sea Rescue Service in February 1957.”
Police are now investigating after the plaques’ disappearance was noted in the past week.
“Police are in the early stages of investigating a report of two memorial plaques stolen from Howick Beach,” a spokesperson says.
“It appears that some stage between September 3-7 two memorial plaques have been taken from the Howick Beach car park.
“Police are working to identify those responsible and return the plaques back to their rightful place.”
A post about the plaques’ theft on social media drew dozens of angry responses, with one person referring to the thief or thieves as “scum” and others speculating the plaques may have been stolen to sell for scrap.
They aren’t the first plaques to be stolen from locations in east Auckland.
A bronze plaque installed at Fencible Walk Park in Picton Street, Howick, as part of Howick’s 175th anniversary commemorations was stolen from its plinth earlier this year.
It was earlier unveiled by Prime Minister and Botany MP Christopher Luxon and Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown at a ceremony on November 12, 2022, and has since been replaced.
Anyone with information on the theft of the two plaques from Howick Beach can phone police on 105 and quote file number 240909/9476, or phone the free and anonymous Crimestoppers tip-off line on 0800 555 111.
