WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A search for six people presumed killed in a landslide at one of New Zealand ’s most popular beach campsites is expected to take days, authorities said Monday.
Heavy rain caused the massive slip at Beachside Holiday Park, nestled at the foot of Mount Maunganui, as a summer storm swept down the North Island on Thursday. Those missing ranged in age from 15 to 71 and included a Swedish tourist and a teenager originally from Italy.
Work to find the missing was suspended at the weekend because of fears the ground remained unstable. The search resumed Monday as authorities said the recovery teams were working in dangerous conditions.
“We’re just holding out for the weather to improve because moisture is the enemy at this point,” police Supt. Tim Anderson said in a statement. “The ground is saturated and what we need is days of fine weather.”
A wave of mud from the mountain hit the campsite, which is in a picturesque beachside spot named after an extinct volcano. Images showed vehicles, travel trailers and an amenities block crushed by debris.
On Thursday, rescuers said they had heard voices beneath the rubble but by Saturday, authorities said they didn't believe any of those missing had survived. They have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50; Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20; Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71; Susan Doreen Knowles, 71; Sharon Maccanico, 15; and Max Furse-Kee, 15.
The horror unfolded at the beachside campsite during New Zealand’s peak summer holiday period. Parts of the North Island recorded record rainfall during the deluge including the city of Tauranga, where Mount Maunganui is located, which registered its wettest 24 hour period since 1910.
Along with the six missing at the campsite, the storm killed three others. Also on Thursday, two people were killed when a landslide buried a house in nearby Papamoa. A day earlier, a 47-year-old man from Kiribati was swept away by floodwaters while driving in New Zealand’s far north. His body was found Saturday.
The unusually wet weather prompted questions about whether evacuation orders should have been given before the campsite tragedy. The fire service said Monday that it had delivered a warning from a member of the public about a slip near the holiday park to the local Tauranga City Council, the landowner of the site, four hours before the fatal landslide.
The council said it would hold an independent inquiry into the episode.
In this image from a video, rescuers and fire crews work near the site of a landslide at the base of Mount Maunganui on New Zealand’s North Island, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (TVNZ via AP)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 26, 2026--
Aesyra SA, a Swiss medtech company developing innovative digital therapeutics for dental and sleep-related disorders, today announced the successful completion of its clinical investigation evaluating the efficacy and safety of AesyBite™ Active, an intelligent oral appliance designed to treat and prevent sleep bruxism through biofeedback.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260126533019/en/
The clinical investigation demonstrated that AesyBite™ Active achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in sleep bruxism activity, exceeding the predefined performance target.
Strong and robust clinical outcomes
In the study (Identifier: NCT06153810), involving 26 adult patients with confirmed sleep bruxism, activation of the AesyBite Active biofeedback system resulted in a 60.6% reduction in total sleep bruxism duration per hour compared to baseline (95% CI: 55.8%–64.9%, p < 0.001). This reduction exceeded the study’s predefined efficacy threshold, confirming the device’s ability to meaningfully reduce bruxism activity during sleep.
In addition to the primary endpoint, statistically significant improvements were observed across multiple secondary measures, including:
The therapeutic effect was consistent regardless of baseline bruxism severity and independent of the timing of biofeedback activation.
Positive safety and usability profile
No adverse events were reported during the investigation. Patient-reported outcomes showed progressive improvements in orofacial pain, as well as improved comfort and acceptance of the device over time, supporting its suitability for long-term nightly use.
A differentiated approach to treating sleep bruxism
Unlike conventional passive splints, AesyBite™ Active combines a customized oral appliance with embedded sensors and active biofeedback, enabling real-time detection and reduction of bruxism activity without disturbing sleep.
“These results represent a major milestone for Aesyra,” said Marco Letizia, co-founder and CEO of Aesyra SA. “Demonstrating a consistent and robust reduction in sleep bruxism activity, together with an excellent safety profile, strongly supports the clinical value of AesyBite Active and its potential to change how sleep bruxism is treated.”
“The magnitude and consistency of the effect observed in this investigation are particularly encouraging,” added Prof. Marcello Maddalone, Principal Investigator, University of Milano-Bicocca.
“The data support AesyBite Active as an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic option for patients suffering from sleep bruxism.”
Next steps
The study results will support global regulatory submissions and future commercialization efforts. FDA submission has been initiated and regulatory approval in the USA is targeted for 2026. European regulatory approval is planned thereafter. In 2026 Aesyra plans to initiate go-to-market activities with existing partners and will seek additional partners for other commercial activities and to expand clinical indications of its platform technology.
About Aesyra SA
Aesyra SA is a Swiss spin-off from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) focused on developing smart, data-driven oral medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-related dental conditions using its proprietary platform technology.
Its flagship product, AesyBite™ Active, integrates digital sensing and biofeedback to address sleep bruxism in a novel and clinically validated way.
Building on the same technological platform, Aesyra is also developing AesyBite™ Custom, a next-generation digital dentistry solution that leverages patient-specific intraoral 3D scans and additive manufacturing to enhance personalization and wearing comfort in bruxism therapy.
For more information, visit: www.aesyra.com
AesyBite Custom smart nightguard by Aesyra SA.
