Selfless surf rescue results in medal award for bravery
A DUNEDIN police officer has been recognised for bravery for saving a life before he joined the police force.
Acting Sergeant Aaron Burgess was awarded a Royal Humane Society of New Zealand Silver Medal for going into the water at Tomahawk Beach, in Dunedin, and pulling out a woman who had been dragged off the beach after being hit by a wave while out for a walk on January 13, 2016.
At the time, Acting Sgt Burgess, born and raised in Invercargill, was living in Dunedin and going through the police recruitment process and had yet to enter training.
That day showed him how quickly a ‘‘normal day out’’ could change into an emergency situation, he said.
Not just for him, but for the woman he rescued.
Acting Sgt Burgess recalled that it was a spontaneous decision to ‘‘turn left’’ on the day with two of his children to go to
Tomahawk Beach rather than St Kilda.
His daughter Ruby (then 4) wanted to go to the beach where people liked to walk their dogs, he said.
However, the moment they set foot on the beach, a woman approached them to say her friend was in trouble.
She had been walking along the beach and was hit by a wave that knocked her over and dragged her out to sea, he said.
She was well out past the breaking waves, about 150m from the shore, but Acting Sgt Burgess could see she was struggling.
‘‘I didn’t really even think about it. It was just, someone is in trouble, I need to go and help them,’’ he said.
When he got to her, she was desperate.
Over the next 15 minutes, he struggled through the heavy surf dragging the woman back to safety, tearing his shoulder in the effort.
Just as he got to the beach, emergency services started arriving — ambulance, police, fire, a helicopter flew overhead, and an IRB rounded the corner from St Kilda.
Rescuers met them in the water when he could stand up.
In August, Acting Sgt Burgess was invited to Government House, in Wellington, where he received the civilian award from GovernorGeneral Dame Patsy Reddy in front of his wife Maggie, his children Ruby (9), Max (7) and Ella (4) and their grandparents.