A Waikato man who escaped the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide, is crediting Lisa McClenna,n as the camper who saved lives

It was the Morrinsville teacher, who woke many holidaymakers up at 5am to warn them the bank above the campground was deteriorating.

She herself, perished in the disaster.

Lance Macfarlane says he was asleep with his daughter in a tent, when McClennan got them out of bed early Thursday.

He told the Herald they could have still been sleeping with the larger slip came down - if it weren't for her actions.