23 JULY 2014 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 78 2171

Anthony Wayne TAMAKEHU
Citation

On 22 February 2011 Tony Tamakehu was near the Pyne Gould Corporation building in Christchurch when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck and the building collapsed. Mr Tamakehu owns The Chainman, a supplier of specialist lifting and rigging equipment, and sub-contracts to Smith Crane and Construction. Staff from Smith Crane and Construction brought cranes and other equipment suitable for concrete slab removal and the clearing of debris. Concrete slabs were broken into pieces for removal and a large enough hole was created for Mr Tamakehu and other Smith Cranes staff to gain access to the collapsed building. They used their expert knowledge of craneage to open up holes, progressively going down through the pancaked floors of the building. As each level was opened, Mr Tamakehu crawled into the voids in the building and began systematically checking each floor for survivors, boring through debris, despite the threat of aftershocks. He was able to locate and assist several people during a time-consuming search in tight, dark conditions. Mr Tamakehu entered confined spaces in the Pyne Gould Corporation building without knowing whether they were stable and without thought for his personal safety. He contributed to the location and rescue of several trapped people. He continued to offer assistance at the PGC and Canterbury Television buildings for several weeks following the earthquake, recovering bodies and performing other vital tasks.

Mark David WHITTAKER
Senior Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service
Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, resulting in the collapse of the six-storey Canterbury Television building. A fire had ignited in the lower levels of the building, complicating rescue efforts. The fourth floor had been compressed to a space of approximately 60 centimetres high. Tunnels were created into the fourth floor to gain access to a number of survivors trapped inside. Senior Firefighter Mark Whittaker worked with three other firefighters in alternating tunnelling teams of two. The firefighters were unable to use breathing apparatus or wear helmets due to the cramped conditions. Debris had to be passed backwards along the bodies of the rescuers and down the tunnel as there was no room to turn around. Firefighters were stationed at the tunnel entrance so that when there were significant aftershocks they could quickly pull the tunnellers out by their feet. Eventually the team of tunnellers, including Whittaker, located a small group of students trapped under a beam. Two bodies had to be removed before the students could be reached. One student was trapped by her ankle and it took a long time to free her, but amputation was avoided. Another student was trapped by his head, but was pulled from beneath the beam and extracted through the tunnel. A third student could not be freed until an amputation was carried out by a civilian doctor assisted by another team of firefighters, through an access hole from above. The rescue efforts of Mark Whittaker and his team were carried out in dense smoke from the fire and under the constant threat of aftershocks.

Michael David YEATES
Senior Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service
Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing the collapse of the Pyne Gould Corporation building, trapping around 30 people inside. Senior Firefighter Mike Yeates worked with another firefighter to tunnel into the second floor in an attempt to gain access to trapped victims. The space they searched was too confined for the firefighters to wear protective clothing. Yeates had heard two survivors call out near his location. The first survivor located was an injured woman hemmed into a tight space around 50 centimetres high, four metres into the building. The two firefighters shifted rubble out of the way allowing the woman to be rescued. A second injured man was located pinned behind air-conditioning equipment and was freed using a hacksaw. Yeates and two other firefighters worked for 90 minutes on creating an access hole between the first and second floors. The access hole allowed for a man trapped under a table on the first floor to be extricated. The rescue efforts of Mike Yeates were carried out in unstable, confined conditions under the constant threat of aftershocks and falling masonry.

Dated this 23rd day of June 2014.

MICHAEL WEBSTER, Clerk of the Executive Council.

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