The nine children of the couple who were swept to their deaths have gathered today at Muriwai Beach to bless the site where tragedy struck.

As the sun rose over the west Auckland beach, about 40 people gathered for a blessing and karakia for the former refugees from Burma, Kay Dah Ukay, 48, and his wife Mu Thu Pa, 50, who were fishing on the rocks with their three youngest children aged 13, 9 and 7 yesterday.

Eldest daughter Dah Htoo Ukay said their parents loved fishing at Muriwai Beach.

"They loved fishing, they would always go. They always liked to go out and do things, never stay at home.

"They also went to Whatipu and Piha, but Muriwai was their favourite. Now it is a very sad place for us."

Family, members of the Auckland Burmese community, tāngata whenua, Muriwai lifeguards, police and general members of the Muriwai community came to pay their respects.

The blessings took place near the rocks the couple had been fishing from, before a still ocean and with a blustery, cold onshore breeze blowing.

The nine siblings were all feeling very sad today, Dah Htoo Ukay said.

"We have no one to call mother, no one to call father.

"We are a lot of siblings, and I have younger brothers and a sister to look after now."

The Auckland Burma community had been supporting them since the tragedy.

"Once they heard the news people have been coming around to our house to help and support us, with the funeral and everything."

Younger siblings Jay, 9, and Tha Dah Paw, 13, were with their parents yesterday while they were fishing, and both tried to help them after they fell in the sea.

"When Dad fell in I was sitting with mum and my brother, then she tried to help him but slipped and fell in. I grabbed a rod and tried to help Mum grab it."

"There was this old man standing on the deck [behind the rocks]. He called 111."

The alarm was raised about 2pm.

Jay said an ambulance and a helicopter arrived quickly. Police found their mother's body first.

"They said she was still breathing a little bit but after half an hour she was gone. But my father, he was already passed away," he said.

Dah Htoo Ukay said it took police about 40 minutes to find her father's body.

She said, 20 years ago her parents and the older children had to flee from the Burmese army to reach safety in Thailand.

They lived in a refugee camp on the Thai/Burmese border for 10 years before being resettled in New Zealand in January 2008.

Both parents were still learning English with Waitakere Adult Literacy, but the older children are now working. Dah Htoo Ukay works in the Tegel chicken factory and two of her brothers work at a warehouse.