Tributes flow for hero cop

Memorials have sprung up and tributes are flowing in from far afield as people try to come to grips with the death of police prosecutor Mike Toon.

Toon died while saving his daughter from a ‘‘treacherous’’ river after a dog rescue went wrong in Palmerston North.

His body was found by the police national dive team in the Manawatu River on Friday morning, having gone missing in the river overnight.

On Saturday, memorials were on the river bank where Toon was found, and tributes from as far afield as the United States have been posted on Facebook.

Palmerston North Fire Brigade and Palmerston North Community Patrol also posted their condolences, and animal welfare group Paw Justice called Toon a hero for his courageous rescue of a family member.

An American law enforcement support group, True Blue Warriors, shared a link to a news article on Toon’s death with the message ’’Rest In Peace True Blue! (so sad) NZ’’.

Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith said Toon’s loss would be felt throughout the community, and he was privileged to have known such a remarkable man.

‘‘We were on the Hokowhitu School board of trustees together, and our children went to school and grew up together.’’

He recalled Toon as a forthright man who loved his sport and didn’t suffer fools gladly – a man to count on whenever things got tough.

Smith said both he and his family offered their deepest sympathy and support to the Toon family.

‘‘All the good people go too soon. He will be terribly missed.’’

Allan Alach, a former principal of Hokowhitu School, got to know Toon as he served as chairman of the school’s board of trustees from 2002-2006.

He said he was still very shaken by Toon’s death. He had heard the helicopters overhead on Thursday night, and when he read the next day what had happened he got a sinking feeling in his gut.

Even before a name appeared in the paper, Alach thought it might be him, he said.

‘‘I knew where Mike lived, and I knew he had a daughter and a dog. I was dreading the confirmation [but when it came] I was gobsmacked.’’

Alach said Toon was extremely principled and always willing to do what needed to be done, that was just the kind of man he was.

‘‘He was very open, what you saw was what you got. A real straight shooter.’’

Toon applied that attitude and work ethic to everything he did, Alach said.

‘‘Mike was the best chairman I worked with in 20 years.

‘‘The school was a real mess when he came on board ... it was virtually broke at that stage, and he helped me turn it around.’’

The pair became friends over a shared interest in motorsports, particularly Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, and one of Alach’s fondest memories of Toon was watching the New Zealand Grand Prix with him at Manfeild in 2006.

Although they’d fallen out of touch over the years, Alach said he still felt the loss of a good man and offered his condolences to the Toon family.

Police said the 49-year-old Toon got into the river, which was ‘‘at an increased level and was flowing reasonably fast’’, to help his daughter rescue the family dog from the water.

Toon’s daughter and the dog are said to be recovering well but the family is in shock following the tragedy.