Golden Shears champ on mend
A one-time Golden Shears champion remains in a stable condition in Wellington Hospital’s intensive care unit after collapsing at the event in Masterton on Friday.
Shock reverberated through the 800-strong crowd in Wairarapa, after experienced wool-handler Mii Nooroa suffered a heart attack on stage.
The 61-year-old, who was competing in a shearing event for the over-60s, was immediately given CPR by a medic at the competition venue.
Paramedics were called to Masterton’s War Memorial Stadium at 10.20pm and Nooroa was rushed to Masterton Hospital in a critical condition.
A Wairarapa DHB spokeswoman said the patient had suffered a cardiac arrest. He was later transferred to Wellington Hospital’s ICU ward at 3.15am on Saturday. His condition was downgraded from critical to stable later that day.
Shearing Sports New Zealand media officer Doug Laing said Nooroa – also known as ‘‘Mic’’ – grew up in Masterton and and had been a competitor almost from the time a wool-handling competition was formally added to the annual Golden Shears programme in 1985.
He won the Junior Wool Handling title in 1988, and was the Golden Shears Open Wool Handling champion in 1992.
Nooroa had finished competing in the final of this year’s veteran wool-handling eventwhen he collapsed, said Laing, who has known the competitor since they attended primary school together.
Laing said Nooroa had spent most of his working life in Wairarapa. ‘‘He’s a great joker, absolutely committed to the craft. The shearing fraternity is like a large family. He’s well known and loved by many.
‘‘Obviously, everyone is very anxious for him and wishing him the best [with his recovery].
Of Friday night’s emergency, he said: ‘‘The programme came to an abrupt end as an on-site medic and others, including a trained nurse, worked frantically on a veteran [competitor]. A defibrillator was also on-hand.’’