NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Victim wants to thank his 'angel'

Anna Leask
By Anna Leask
Senior Journalist - crime and justice·NZ Herald·
25 Nov, 2013 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The victim, who must wear a neck brace until at least January, has been told he is lucky to be alive. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The victim, who must wear a neck brace until at least January, has been told he is lucky to be alive. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A man who had his neck broken during a brutal attack in an Auckland park might have died or been left paralysed if not for the help of a stranger.

A man who had his neck broken during a brutal attack in an Auckland park might have died or been left paralysed if not for the help of a stranger.

Now he wants to find that stranger and thank him for saving his life.

The man, who spoke to the Herald on the condition his name was not published, was badly beaten on November 14 in Kingsland.

He went to Nixon Park with a man and woman he knew and had run into unexpectedly earlier that night.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Police said the trio were drinking in the park and then things turned nasty after a disagreement.

The man pushed the victim from behind and stomped hard on his neck before running off with the woman.

They left the victim lying seriously injured in the middle of Central Rd.

Some time after, the victim was helped into a car by a stranger and taken to hospital.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I blacked out ... I don't know how long I was lying there. I can just remember someone picking me up. I was really pleased to see someone," the victim said.

"I didn't think I had a broken neck. I thought I'd hurt my shoulder. He said 'we better get you out of here' and took me to hospital, but I was in too much pain to see his face."

"We got to the hospital and he pulled up at the door. I think he spoke to the nurse and then they brought a stretcher out. He left pretty quickly."

The victim was examined and doctors delivered the terrifying news that his neck was badly broken.

"I just started crying. My first thought was that I was going to be paralysed. They said they needed to operate and that there were risks ... that I might not recover. The next morning they took me down into surgery. I'm not out of the woods yet ... but they are pretty optimistic."

The man underwent emergency surgery to insert a plate and three screws into his neck.

He was discharged on Sunday but must wear a hard collar until at least January 10 and is on blood thinning medication to prevent clots on his brain as a result of a major vein in his neck being badly damaged in the attack.

"My doctor told me I was lucky to be alive. If he'd hit my head again I could have had a blood clot to my brain and I wouldn't be here," he said.

The victim credits the person who rushed him to hospital with saving his life and ability to walk.

"He kept my mind off the pain. He talked to me the whole way to the hospital. I can't remember everything he said but he was encouraging me, saying 'you're going to be all right mate'.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I feel like he's my angel ... I didn't get a chance to thank him properly. I would really like him to come forward. I have a lot of gratitude towards him. I'd like to meet him, to thank him."

The man who helped was European, possibly in his 30s and driving a white car. Police have also appealed for the person to come forward.

The victim's mother also wanted to thank the man who helped, and applauded his effort.

"When the police rang me they said [my son] was very lucky - lucky to be walking and very lucky to be alive. It was devastating to get that call ... it was horrible," she said.

Constable Jason Hong Goo said a man had been charged in relation to the attack and had appeared in the Auckland District Court facing charges of wounding with intent to injure and theft.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Air NZ flight lands safely in Auckland after hydraulic issue

06 Jul 03:15 AM
New Zealand

Sick social housing tenant fights eviction bid linked to disruptive visitors

06 Jul 03:00 AM
New Zealand

Afternoon quiz: What is the main language spoken in Egypt?

06 Jul 03:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Air NZ flight lands safely in Auckland after hydraulic issue

Air NZ flight lands safely in Auckland after hydraulic issue

06 Jul 03:15 AM

Flight ANZ538 was travelling from Christchurch to Auckland.

Sick social housing tenant fights eviction bid linked to disruptive visitors

Sick social housing tenant fights eviction bid linked to disruptive visitors

06 Jul 03:00 AM
Afternoon quiz: What is the main language spoken in Egypt?

Afternoon quiz: What is the main language spoken in Egypt?

06 Jul 03:00 AM
Watch: Large fire engulfs incomplete apartments in Māngere

Watch: Large fire engulfs incomplete apartments in Māngere

06 Jul 02:30 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP