‘Silent’ heart disease took MP Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, coroner finds

Saturday, 6 June 2026

Green MP Fa’anānā Efeso Collins had been asymptomatic with a cardiac disease, the coroner has found.

The sudden death of Green MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins was caused by severe, previously undetected heart disease, a coroner has ruled.

Fa'anānā, a 49-year-old father of two and respected Samoan matai, collapsed and died in Central Auckland's Te Komititanga Square on February 24, 2024, while participating in a charity water run. The tragedy unfolded just days after he delivered his maiden speech to Parliament.

In written findings released on Friday, Coroner J Anderson found that Fa'anānā died of natural causes, specifically cardiac disease arising from complications of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. A post-mortem examination revealed heavy calcification and narrowing in his aortic valve and coronary arteries.

The coroner noted that Fa'anānā had “silent” coronary artery disease, meaning he was entirely asymptomatic and had no warning signs before his fatal collapse.

Independent cardiology expert Dr Tony Scott advised the inquiry that physical exercise was the likely immediate trigger for the acute cardiac event, noting a paradoxical transient increase in risk during and shortly after exertion. However, video footage showed the charity walk was not overly strenuous, and Dr Scott concluded that because the heart disease was silent, the outcome could not have been foreseen.

A scene at Britomart, Auckland, after Fa’anānā’ Efeso Collins collapsed at the charity event.

The inquiry examined the family's concerns regarding the event's health and safety planning and medical coverage. Coroner Anderson found the arrangements made by the organisers were adequate for a low-risk publicity event.

Effective bystander CPR was started within 90 seconds by a trained surf lifesaver on site, and an automated external defibrillator (AED) was retrieved from the nearby Britomart train station and used promptly. Paramedics arrived six to seven minutes after the collapse.

Dr Scott advised that the resuscitation efforts were of 'very good quality,' but an underlying occlusion in a heart artery likely prevented his heart from being revived. Even with immediate paramedic care, survival in such cases is never guaranteed and averages around 50%.

Vaccine claim dismissed

The coroner explicitly rejected claims raised by the New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out With Science (NZDSOS) group, which suggested a link between the death and the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

Dr Scott advised the court that the likelihood of the vaccine contributing to the death was 'vanishingly small'.

He noted that Fa'anānā received his last vaccine dose nearly two years prior to his collapse, which was well outside the timeframe for any known rare cardiac side effects.

In closing the inquiry, Coroner Anderson acknowledged the deep national grief over the loss of a politician who worked tirelessly for his community.

“The death of Fa'anānā was felt throughout Aotearoa,” Anderson said.

Fa’anānā Efeso Collins during the 2022 Auckland mayoral election campaign. (file photo)

“He achieved so much during his life, and it is beyond doubt that he would have continued to work tirelessly to bring about meaningful and positive changes for all New Zealanders.

“It is natural to feel robbed when someone so special is taken too soon.”

The coroner issued formal recommendations urging public event planners to explicitly name individuals to locate and deploy AEDs to minimise delays during medical emergencies.

Anderson also backed calls from Dr Scott for targeted public health campaigns and expanded CPR training within vulnerable communities, noting that cardiovascular disease remains New Zealand's leading cause of death, disproportionately impacting Māori and Pacific peoples.

Some family had sought an inquest for cultural reasons and claims of “missing evidence”, as well as to hear alternative expert views, but Anderson determined an inquest was “not required for me to determine, to the required legal standard, the sequence and nature of relevant events leading up to Fa’anānā’s death”.

“There is ample evidence available to determine the circumstances of Fa’anānā’s death. This includes eyewitness accounts, contemporaneous visual footage from two different sources, and technical data from a defibrillation device. The timing and nature of key events can be established with a high degree of certainty from this information.”