News
Rescue of the Month Round-Up
Thursday, 16 May 2013The 2012/13 patrol season saw an increase in the number of nominations for Rescue of the Month Awards.
There were a total of 35 nominations which is up on last year's 29 entries.
Rescue of the Month Awards are the opportunity for clubs to be recognised for their outstanding contribution to the community and Surf Life Saving's purpose of protecting our community in the water.
Each month, from November to April, regional winners were chosen with one being selected as the overall national winner.
The winners of each region received a framed citation to proudly hang on the wall in their respective clubs with the national winner also receiving a $100 fuel voucher from BP.
This year's national winners involved everything from the mass rescue of 10 rock fishermen and a rescue by two 12 year-olds to a patient collapsing on the water's edge.
In November, lifeguards at St Clair won the national award for giving a patient a fighting chance when they responded within a minute of the patient collapsing on the water's edge.
December's award went to Waihi Surf Life Saving Club for the efforts of two 12 year-olds who didn't think twice about entering the water to save the life of a man stuck in a rip.
In January, Taylors Mistake was rewarded for their extensive, proactive patrolling which was responsible for the survival of multiple swimmers as the club was experiencing one of its largest head counts for years.
Bethells Beach took out February's award for an out-of-hours rescue of a patient caught in a rip who suffered a fit back on shore and had to be air lifted to Auckland Hospital.
St Kilda, St Clair and Sunset Beach shared the national award for March after a joint rescue of a group of school students at Purakaunui while they were setting up for the Southern IRB Champs.
The final round in April was won by Sunset Beach who was praised for saving a group of 10 rock fishermen on the final day of the patrol season.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Chairman Michael Bassett-Foss says admiration of the skill and professionalism shown by those involved in these rescues is testament to qualities valued by Surf Life Saving New Zealand and BP.
Monthly winners and finalists for BP Surf Rescue of the Year will be announced at this year's In It For Life Awards on September 21 in Wellington.
The full list of winners is as follows:
November
- Northern Region - Piha Surf Life Saving Club -download the citation here
- Eastern Region - Omanu Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- Southern Region - St Clair Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- National winner - St Clair Surf Life Saving -download the citation here
December 2012
- Northern Region - Trust Waikato Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service - download the citation here
- Eastern Region - Waihi Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- Central Region - Otaki Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- Southern Region - no nominations.
- National winner - Waihi Surf Life Saving Club- download the citation here
January 2013
- Northern Region - Trust Waikato Raglan Surf Life Saving Club -download the citation here
- Eastern Region - Whakatane Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- Central Region - Palmerston Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- Southern Region - Taylors Mistake Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- National winner - Taylors Mistake Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
February 2013
- Northern Region - Bethells Beach Surf Life Saving Patrol - download the citation here
- Eastern Region - Omanu Beach Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- Central Region - no nominations
- Southern Region - St Clair Surf Life Saving Club - download the citation here
- National winner - Bethells Beach Surf Life Saving Patrol -download the citation here
March 2013
- Northern Region - Kariaotahi SLSC - download the citation here
- Eastern Region - Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service - download the citation here
- Central Region - no nominations
- Southern Region - Purakaunui rescue - St Kilda, St Clair and Sunset Beach - download the citation here
- National winner - Purakaunui rescue - St Kilda, St Clair and Sunset Beach - download the citation here
April 2013
- Northern Region - Trust Waikato Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service - download the citation here
- Eastern Region - no nominations
- Central Region - no nominations
- Southern Region - no nominations
- National winner - Trust Waikato Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service - download the citation here
Visit www.surflifesaving.org.nz/rescueofthemonth for more information.