Pāuanui, Tairua lifeguards honoured for Tairua bar incident

Members from the Pāuanui Surf Lifesaving Club, Pāuanui and Tairua paid lifeguard services, the Pāuanui/Tairua Search and Rescue Squad, and Tairua-Pāuanui Coastguard attended the New Zealand Search and Rescue awards at Parliament in Wellington. Photo / Mike Coote, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand

Those involved in rescue efforts after a boat flipped on the Tairua Bar last year have been recognised in an awards ceremony.

On May 16, members from the Pāuanui Surf Lifesaving Club, Pāuanui and Tairua paid lifeguard services, the Pāuanui/Tairua Search and Rescue Squad and Tairua-Pāuanui Coastguard attended the New Zealand Search and Rescue awards at Parliament in Wellington.

The teams received a Certificate of Achievement for Operational Activity for their efforts in rescuing and providing medical care to the occupants of a boat that flipped on the Tairua Bar on January 5, 2022.

The boat that flipped at the Tairua bar in the Coromandel.

Paramedics and lifeguards resuscitated a man twice on the beach at a holiday hotspot as they scrambled to rescue five people tossed into the water when the boat flipped.

Each year excellence in search and rescue is formally recognised at the awards ceremony, acknowledging the dedication, achievements and sacrifices made by professionals and volunteers in all sectors of search and rescue in New Zealand.

One gold award and four certificates of achievements for support activity were awarded, making the rescue carried out by the crews from Pāuanui and Tairua among the top in the country for the year.

In a release, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand said: “The teams worked together efficiently and effectively, alongside bystanders and the family involved to carry out the rescue. To have this recognised on a national level is a great honour for all the rescuers involved.”