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Home / New Zealand

Pint-sized heroes aged 6 and 10 among bravery award recipients

By Rebecca Quilliam and Holly Dove
NZ Herald·
4 Sep, 2014 05:00 PM3 mins to read

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Sharleen John and her daughter Skylah John.

Sharleen John and her daughter Skylah John.

Two children have been recognised for their vital roles in helping to rescue people from life-threatening situations.

The youngsters - aged 6 and 10 - were among 11 brave people recognised at the Safety in the City Awards at Wellington's St James Theatre last night.

The awards marked a decade of celebrating safety and community-mindedness in the capital.

Skylah John had not long turned 6 when her mother, Sharleen, collapsed on the floor with chest pains in February.

Mrs John said the last thing she remembered before blacking out was severe pain.

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Instead of panicking, Skylah called 111, told paramedics how to get to her house and how to get in touch with her father.

Skylah said she was "a little bit upset", but was brave and phoned emergency services.

Afterwards Skylah had to be careful with her mum, "because her tummy was really painful".

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Ethan Hamilton, 10, showed equal pluck last September when he saw a 4-year-old wander away from his mother and jump into the adult pool at the Kilbirnie Pools.

Ethan, who was 9 at the time, swam to the little boy who had not resurfaced.

"When I saw him sinking to the bottom I dived in and picked him up and put him on the side," he said. "I felt happy that I saved someone's life."

Another to have his bravery recognised was Konefereisi Aperila, who jumped into Wellington Harbour after a man leapt from Miramar Wharf.

Mr Aperila swam to the man, who was lying face down in the water. Turning him upright, he spent 45 minutes keeping him afloat while waiting for the Fire Service to arrive.

Despite efforts by Mr Aperila to resuscitate him, the man died by the time a rescue team could get to him.

"It's an experience I'll never forget - having someone die in your arms is pretty awful," Mr Aperila said.

"At one stage I felt like I was going to give up but I kept holding on to him - just in case there was a bit of life in him.

"I did what I could."

The awards were presented by Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and Wellington police area commander Inspector Chris Scahill.

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Ms Wade-Brown said the ceremony was a very important occasion for the city and the stories of the winners showed courage and passion.

"They show a willingness to put other people first and make this city a safe city to be enjoyed by all."

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