15 FEBRUARY 2005

NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 37

called out for the man to hold on to a handle on the back of
the boat, as conditions were too rough for the man to
attempt to climb aboard. At this stage, a wave broke over the
top of the dingy, which was nearly swamped. Despite
the conditions, Mr Gilchrist managed to tow the man up the
river for a few hundred metres to the safety of the river
bank.

Ethan James KENNEDY
Citation

At about 4.30 p.m. on 3 February 2003, Ethan Kennedy,
aged 12, was at home with his father when his father’s
partner arrived at the house with her former partner. Ethan’s
father walked outside where he was shot in the hand and
stomach with a 410 gauge shotgun. Ethan came out of the
house and confronted his father’s attacker, screaming and
yelling at him to leave his father alone. The attacker pointed
the shotgun at Ethan, who pushed him and ran to get help
from a neighbouring property. The attacker left the scene,
and Ethan returned with a neighbour to help make his father
comfortable before meeting the ambulance and Police and
giving a calm and accurate account of what had occurred,
together with a description of the offender and the vehicle
he had used. There is a high probability that his father
would have been shot again if Ethan had not intervened. The
attacker later pleaded guilty to several offences including
attempted murder. Ethan, at a very young age, displayed
a high level of bravery in intervening to help his father.

Caine Francis SPICK
Citation

On 18 April 2003, Mr Spick, aged 15, his twin brother and
a friend were fishing from the Tinopai Wharf in the Kaipara
Harbour. At about 2.00 p.m. that afternoon, a young boy
approached them and told them his friend, a 7-year-old boy,
had fallen off the wharf and was drowning as he didn’t
know how to swim. Mr Spick immediately jumped into the
fast flowing outgoing tide and managed to reach and hold on
to the boy. Mr Spick didn’t let go, despite swallowing large
quantities of water and being dragged under several times.
The two were washed some 300 metres downstream towards
the Kaipara Heads and the Tasman Sea. Meanwhile, Mr
Spick’s twin brother and friend raced from the wharf to alert
a fisherman they had seen earlier. The fisherman went to the
aid of Mr Spick and the boy, successfully recovering them
from the water in his boat.

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985

Christopher Mark JOWSEY
Sergeant (now Flight Sergeant), Royal New Zealand
Air Force
Citation

Sergeant (now Flight Sergeant) Jowsey was the winch man
on an RNZAF Iroquois helicopter conducting rescue and
evacuation tasks on 16 February 2004, following catastrophic
flooding throughout the Manawatu, Rangitikei and Wanganui
regions. His aircraft was informed that two men were caught
in the floodwaters of the Whangaehu River, near the
township of Kauangaroa. On arriving at the scene, the first
man was quickly located chest deep in water. Sergeant
Jowsey was winched down and the man safely recovered.
The aircraft captain then spotted the second man being
swept downstream. The aircraft was quickly positioned
above the man, who was attempting to cling to a fence, but
the force of the water was such that the fence ripped away.
The crew realised that this could be a one-chance rescue as
the man was being quickly swept away and the river was
full of debris including trees, hay bales, dead stock and other
debris. The aircraft was then positioned downstream and
Sergeant Jowsey was winched into the river. As the man
came within reach, Sergeant Jowsey caught hold of him, but
a combination of his weight, the force of the water and the
tension from the winch cable dragged both men under water.
At this point, while he was completely submerged, one of
Sergeant Jowsey’s boots became snagged on an underwater
obstruction. He managed to kick free of the obstruction and,
having maintained a firm hold of the survivor throughout,
placed him in the rescue strop. This is not a simple exercise
on land, and in these circumstances required great presence
of mind and determination. Sergeant Jowsey then assisted
the survivor to the aircraft. Had Sergeant Jowsey not been
winched clear of the water, the man would very likely have
perished. Also, as Sergeant Jowsey well knew, if the winch
cable had snagged while in the water, it would have to be
cut away, placing the rescuer himself in grave danger.
Sergeant Jowsey subsequently completed three more
rescues that day. Throughout the day he displayed courage,
professionalism and great compassion for the people he
rescued.

Dated this 29th day of January 2005.

DIANE MORCOM, Clerk of the Executive Council.

ISSN 0111-5650

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