Locals gather to remember shark victim

Messages of love and loss have been written in the sand at Muriwai Beach.

Around 80 members of the local community have gathered to remember Adam Strange - the man killed in a ferocious shark attack while swimming yesterday.

Newstalk ZB reporter Juliette Sivertsen says Mr Strange's wife and small daughter, police, life guards and members of the local iwi walked slowly down to the water's edge.

"Iwi leaders blessed the site, everybody took their shoes off about 10 metres from the shore and then they walked into the shallows of the water all together.

"Children wrote in the sand - it was a big message that they wrote that said 'we love Adam' with a heart in the middle.

"And other people were writing messages in the sand - messages of love and support, holding each other, and just looking out to the sea."

Muriwai Beach is still closed to swimmers and is expected to remain so for the rest of the day.

Photo: Juliette Sivertsen