Speech to the New Zealand Search and Rescue Awards
Good evening everyone. It's great to be a part of this year's Search and Rescue Awards.
We are here tonight to recognise some remarkable New Zealanders who have done incredible things, helping people in real trouble.
Tonight's ceremony is about honouring the bravery and commitment of the award recipients. It's also a chance for the New Zealand government to recognise the valuable contribution of all the individuals involved in the sector.
Search and rescue work is demanding and draining. The hours can be long and variable, the work dangerous and the events traumatic. Rescue teams often put their own safety at risk to help complete strangers.
Despite the risks, over 12,000 New Zealanders are involved in more than 2,000 search and rescue incidents every year. What's more, 90 percent of these people are volunteers, giving New Zealand Search and Rescue one of the highest rates of volunteer involvement in the world. This is something New Zealand should be very proud of.
During the last financial year Coastguard and Land SAR volunteers were involved in nearly 800 search and rescue operations. That's almost 18,000 hours of volunteer time.
These are impressive numbers, but what's even more impressive is that every hour at the front line equates to 10 hours of preparation and training.
Many lives have been saved because of the work of people in this room tonight, and other volunteers around the country.
Of course, prevention is always better than treatment.
There are steps we can take to prevent people from getting into trouble in the first place. I'm pleased that the Search and Rescue sector is involved in getting important safety messages to New Zealanders and our visitors.
In the outdoors, we want everyone to:
- plan your trip
- tell someone where you are going and how long you plan to be away
- check the weather before you go
- know your limits
- take adequate supplies with you.
And in the marine sector, boaties are asked to:
- take and wear the correct sized lifejacket
- check the latest marine weather forecast
- carry at least two means of communication
- avoid alcohol.
And now to tonight's awards.
The Search and Rescue Council has two annual national awards to recognise worthy achievements in the field of Search and Rescue.
The New Zealand Search and Rescue Gold Award for the most significant contribution to Search and Rescue and ‘New Zealand Search and Rescue Certificates of Achievement for important contributions to Search and Rescue.
Both these awards offer formal, public recognition to recipients as well as raising community awareness of Search and Rescue.
We have six awards to present this year - one Gold Award, and five Certificates of Achievement.
The prestigious Gold Award goes to a crew from the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust for a rescue they carried out in February last year.
Fisherman Michael Muggeridge was thrown overboard in rough seas near Patea, and was trapped at the base of a cliff in heavy seas. He was battered, exhausted and barely conscious, and wouldn't have survived much longer if it weren't for the rescue crew.
It was a very difficult task for the crew, facing of high winds and high seas. But as Michael said after the rescue:
"I was broken mate, a few more waves and that was the end of me. I could feel myself slipping away and I didn't think anybody would be coming. But the Rescue Helicopter saved me and I'm alive to tell the tale and, for that, I will always be thankful."
Of the five Certificates being awarded this evening:
- two are for rescues during the last year;
- two are being awarded to individuals for their services, leadership and dedication to the sector over many years;
- and one is being awarded to a search dog and his handler for their perseverance in recovering the remains of a missing tramper.
In total, we have 16 individuals and one very clever dog receiving awards tonight.
I want to acknowledge the dedication, bravery, and selflessness the award recipients have displayed, along with your ongoing efforts to train and educate your colleagues. You all characterise the values of the New Zealand Search and Rescue sector.
While the people being honoured tonight deserve special recognition, I would also like to acknowledge all search and rescue volunteers for their dedication to the safety and wellbeing of others. On behalf of the government, and myself, thank you.
I'll now hand over to New Zealand Search and Rescue Council Chair Martin Matthews to help me present the awards.