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

Bravery medal for reluctant hero

Kurt Bayer
By Kurt Bayer
South Island Head of News·NZ Herald·
18 Sep, 2012 09:06 PM3 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

Rangiora fire hero Godfrey Evans. Photo / Geoff Sloan

Rangiora fire hero Godfrey Evans. Photo / Geoff Sloan

A reluctant hero will be honoured with a Royal Humane Society bravery medal today for dragging an elderly man from a burning home and going back in to find the man's wife.

Helicopter pilot Godley Evans, 43, was driving home from the supermarket on September 20, 2009 when he saw flames billowing from a Rangiora house.

Elderly couple Jack and Mary Jean Chaston were trapped inside as the ferocious blaze enveloped their Victoria St home and they started to be overcome by smoke.

Mr Evans stopped his car, jumped a fence, and heard 90-year-old Mr Chaston's cries for help.

He manhandled a metal security door from its hinges and, leaning away from smoke and billowing flames, he managed to reach inside and drag Mr Chaston to the safety of the driveway.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Get Jean out," the distraught husband cried.

In spite of the "extreme" conditions and poor visibility, Mr Evans returned to the house intending to rescue Mrs Chaston. Windows were starting to explode as the fire intensified, with witnesses describing the flames being higher than the roof.

Mr Evans, of nearby Waikuku Beach, went back into the house through the conservatory, crawled along the floor on his stomach, and called out for Mrs Chaston.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He had no response.

The rescuer crawled from the conservatory and ventured about 3m into the lounge where the smoke was even heavier and there was almost zero visibility.

He could find no trace of Mrs Chaston.

At this stage, badly affected by the smoke, he realised that he would have to leave.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Family mourn hero cop after assault

23 Aug 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Rescuers' courage earns awards

05 Sep 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Teen praised for bravery after attack

12 Sep 02:46 AM
New Zealand

Man rescued after attempt to hike country fails

21 Sep 08:20 AM

He crawled back out of the house and alerted arriving firefighters that there was a woman still inside.

Mrs Chaston, 87, was then found by firefighters in her bedroom but she died later that evening in hospital.

Today, Mr Evans, a commercial pilot who flies helicopters in Papua New Guinea, will be remembered for his bravery at an awards ceremony for the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand at Government House in Wellington.

Governor-General, Sir Jerry Mateparae will present Mr Evans, and four others - Kima Sampson, Dean Herrick, Geoffrey Taylor, and Stephen Smith - with individual Silver Medals in recognition of civilian bravery.

Yesterday, Mr Evans remembered the day with mixed emotions; glad to have been able to rescue the elderly man but still distraught that he couldn't save Mrs Chaston.

"It brings back a lot of emotions," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He rejected the "hero" label, saying shortly after the incident: "No, I'm not a hero. I just did what you do, don't you?

"I was just Johnny on the spot. It's all about helping people."

Mr Chaston, now aged 92, spoke yesterday from his retirement home in Christchurch to applaud Mr Evans' bravery recognition.

He recommended to police at the time that a bravery medal should be awarded.

"He deserves all accolades he gets," the pensioner said.

"It means a lot to me. He not only saved me when the public, as usual, stood around gaping, but he also went back in and hunted around looking for my wife.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was three years ago but I still think about it every day. My wife and I got on so well and I'll never forget her. It was a terrible tragedy what happened."

SIDEBAR
* Kima Sampson also saved a man from a house fire in Trentham on September 5, 2010.
* Dean Herrick, Geoffrey Taylor, and Stephen Smith performed a dangerous helicopter rescue in rough seas and deteriorating weather, saving the life of a solo yachtsman about 62 nautical miles off Cape Kidnappers, on October 11, 2011.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Politics

Te Pāti Māori selects former broadcaster for Tāmaki Makaurau byelection

10 Jul 08:58 AM
New Zealand

Man sentenced for taking boy to secluded spot and photographing him without togs on

10 Jul 08:00 AM
New Zealand

State of emergency declared for Tasman region, severe weather warnings across NZ

10 Jul 07:04 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori selects former broadcaster for Tāmaki Makaurau byelection

Te Pāti Māori selects former broadcaster for Tāmaki Makaurau byelection

10 Jul 08:58 AM

Move comes after MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp died last month.

Man sentenced for taking boy to secluded spot and photographing him without togs on

Man sentenced for taking boy to secluded spot and photographing him without togs on

10 Jul 08:00 AM
State of emergency declared for Tasman region, severe weather warnings across NZ

State of emergency declared for Tasman region, severe weather warnings across NZ

10 Jul 07:04 AM
‘Lock all your doors’: Neighbours recount gunman on loose after Hamilton homicide

‘Lock all your doors’: Neighbours recount gunman on loose after Hamilton homicide

10 Jul 07:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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