Man who rescued swimmers ‘no hero’
The man who rescued two people, including a 6-year-old girl and pulled the body of 19-year-old Ben Gardner out of the Kawarau River, says he’s no hero.
Rob Horne and partner Amber McMillan, of Cromwell, were flagged down by a woman after members of her family got into trouble swimming in the Bannockburn Inlet, about five kilometres from Cromwell.
Gardner was swimming to a pontoon off Cairnmuir Rd, Bannockburn, about 1pm on Saturday.
‘‘He [Gardner] went out with a little 6-year-old . . . and couldn’t swim,’’ Horne said yesterday. ‘‘He’s pushed the girl to the aunty and the aunty couldn’t swim either.
‘‘We both dived in and we got out the lady and the girl.
‘‘Me and Amber swam out to the pontoon just trying to see the body. When we got there he was under the water.’’
Horne went home to get his and McMillan’s diving gear and after ‘‘10 or 12 minutes’’ were able to retrieve Gardner’s body about 4.8 metres below the surface.
‘‘I’m glad we were able to save two people,’’ Horne said.
The grieving girlfriend of Gardner says she wishes the incident was ‘‘just a bad dream’’.
Courtney Shaw posted a heartfelt tribute to Gardner, her boyfriend, on social media yesterday.
‘‘I wish this was just a bad dream,’’ Shaw wrote.
‘‘I can’t believe u have been taken away from me I love u so much u were my best friend my world my everything.
‘‘I have no idea how I well ever get though this. Rest in peace baby boy love u always an forever (sic).’’
Gardner lived in Queenstown where he worked as an apprentice panelbeater.
Cromwell chief fire officer Steve Shaw was among those who attended the incident at the popular swimming spot.
‘‘As far as I’m aware he was heading out to the pontoon and got himself into trouble and family members went to get him.’’
The young man’s body was recovered between the shore and the pontoon.
Shaw could not confirm if the teen suffered a medical event while in the water.
The area between the shore and pontoon was ‘‘quite deep’’ and slippery in places, he said.
A police media spokeswoman said police were looking at whether aspects like fatigue and temperature were factors in the teen’s death, which would be referred to the coroner.
A second swimmer made it safely to land.
‘‘He’s fine. He managed to get out of the water and was OK,’’ the spokeswoman said.
There had been conflicting information about where the death occurred.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 1.08pm on Saturday.
The weather was warm at the time, with light winds.
‘‘I wish this was just a bad dream.’’ Victim Ben Gardner’s girlfriend Courtney Shaw