6 MAY 2011 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 61

where Mr Smith was able to provide further treatment and comfort to Senior Constable Diver. The ambulance, with Mr Smith on board, took Senior Constable Diver to a point where a helicopter was waiting to take the wounded officer to hospital.

Mr Smith did not have to accompany the evacuation party as it was not a requirement of his job to put himself in harm’s way. He acted bravely by doing so, and ensured that urgently needed medical attention was made available to a seriously wounded Police Officer at the earliest possible moment, significantly increasing his chances of survival.

Mark TAYLOR

Chief Petty Officer Combat System Specialist, Royal New Zealand Navy

Citation

On 5 October 2007 Chief Petty Officer Combat System Specialist Mark Taylor, a member of the ship’s company of HMNZS Canterbury, was involved in a series of sea boat drills for coxswain training while on route from Cape Reinga to Auckland. He was standing in an alcove from which a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) was being lowered. Everything progressed normally until the RHIB touched the water and tipped onto its side. Two crew members on the RHIB at the time managed to escape, but two others were restrained by their harnesses and forced back into the boat by the on-rush of water. As HMNZS Canterbury was being brought to a stop, an attempt was made to hoist the RHIB back on board. At this point, it turned over completely, trapping the two occupants beneath it. One crew member managed to escape, but the other remained trapped inside the upturned boat.

During this time, several of the ship’s company entered the water and attempted to rescue the trapped sailor, including Chief Petty Officer Taylor, who had pulled on his wetsuit as the RHIB tipped on its side. He made several unsuccessful rescue attempts by free diving under the boat and trying to cut the trapped sailor’s harness. During one of his brief periods on the surface, he attempted to release the boat’s self-righting gear, but unfortunately this was also unsuccessful. He continued to try to rescue the trapped sailor, until, after almost losing consciousness and suffering from water in the lungs, he too needed to be assisted from the water. Chief Petty Officer Taylor was later admitted to the ship’s hospital, suffering from exhaustion, salt water aspiration and a shoulder strain.

As an experienced diver, Chief Petty Officer Taylor was fully aware of how dangerous these rescue attempts could be, but he displayed bravery when, though injured, he persisted in his efforts to rescue his fellow crew member to the point of exhaustion and where his own life could have been at risk.

HONORARY AWARD

NEW ZEALAND BRAVERY MEDAL

To be awarded an Honorary New Zealand Bravery Medal

Maurice Ugo CONTI

Sophie CONTI

Citation

On 12 October 2008 Maurice and Sophie Conti and their two children (aged 6 and 4) were anchored in their catamaran, the Ocealys. At approximately 11.45 p.m., they picked up a mayday call on their marine radio.

The call was from the Australian boat Timella that had a New Zealand woman and her two sailing companions on board and which had struck the Takau Lakaleka Reef south of Viti Levu, and was hard aground. The weather was reported as being atrocious; with winds of 30 knots and 3-4 metre swells. By 2.00 a.m. on 13 October 2008, the Timella started taking on water and 15 minutes later sank. The situation of the crew was made even more perilous when the mast of the Timella punctured the life raft and this too sank, leaving the crew stranded on the coral reef.

No other boat heard the mayday call, except for a cruise ship located some 130 nautical miles south of the incident, too far away to render immediate assistance. Sophie Conti managed to contact the New Zealand High Commission in Suva by phone and later established communications with the Rescue Coordination Centre in New Zealand. Between them, they would co-ordinate the events that were to follow. It quickly became apparent that the Fijian Navy vessel on standby would be unable to leave port immediately, there was no helicopter rescue service available in Suva, and a private helicopter service on a nearby island could not be contacted. No assistance would therefore be forthcoming from the Fijian Search and Rescue organisations until daylight. Even if this did eventuate, it was unlikely that it would reach the Timella until about midday on 13 October – probably too late to save those on board.

Realising that they were the only hope for those aboard the Timella, Maurice and Sophie Conti weighed anchor at 3.00 a.m. and set course for the Timella, which was some 12 nautical miles and 2.5 hours’ sailing from their position. They navigated their way out of their sheltered anchorage, in complete darkness, by following a reverse track on their GPS. Negotiating the strong winds and heavy seas, they arrived at the rescue area at 5.30 a.m. By this time the crew of the Timella had been in the water for over two hours and could not be seen. Maurice and Sophie continued searching the area until they managed to spot three ‘dots’ on the reef. After a fruitless search for a way to get close to those on the reef, Maurice launched the dingy while Sophie took control of the Ocealys.

In what has been described as a brilliant display of seamanship, Maurice Conti picked his way through the reef, despite the rough seas, and reached the crew, some of whom were showing signs of hypothermia. By 6.00 a.m. he had pulled them to safety and successfully made his way back to the Ocealys, a difficult and dangerous endeavour on its own.

Throughout this incident the Contis had been the focal point for communications between the crew of the Timella, the search and rescue operations at the New Zealand High Commission in Suva and the Rescue Coordination Centre in New Zealand. It was this communication link that not only assisted the rescue operation, but provided a source of hope to those marooned on the reef.

Had it not been for the courage, determination and superb seamanship of Maurice and Sophie Conti, the lives of crew of the Timella, who were stranded on the reef, would probably have been lost. It should be noted that, throughout the rescue, the Contis had to consider the safety of their two young children, who were also on board the Ocealys.

Dated this 2nd day of April 2011

REBECCA KITTERIDGE, Clerk of the Executive Council.

MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (MNZM)

The Queen has been pleased to make the following appointment to The New Zealand Order of Merit: