A police officer and a member of the public have been honoured for their courage in the attempted rescue of a young boy who was swept out to sea.

Senior Constable Bruce Whitley, known as Ben and pictured, right, at Government House, and Jeremy Lee were recognised for their courage during an incident in which a five-year-old boy drowned in Napier in 2021.

They received the Royal Humane Society Silver Medal from Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House, Wellington, on Wednesday 28 August.

Constables Andrew Chantrey and Ted-Stuart Symes are to be acknowledged for their part in the incident in due course.  

Also receiving Silver Medals were former Senior Constable Kurt Waugh, who rescued a woman from a house fire in 2011, and Matt and Tim Dodge for their repeated rescues – including of police - during Cyclone Gabrielle.

On 10 December 2021 civilian Jeremy Lee was walking on the beach near Napier Aquarium when he heard a mother calling for help and saw a child in the water. 

He tried to swim to the boy but the sharp drop-off, pounding surf and a severe undertow meant he got into difficulty.

Ben Whitley, who was off duty, heard the call for help and drove to the scene. As he entered the water, Jeremy yelled for him to bypass him and swim to the child. 

Ben reached the boy about 50 metres from the beach. In very rough conditions he brought him back to ambulance staff waiting on the shore, but he could not be resuscitated.

Jeremy remained in the water but was having difficulty staying afloat. Ted-Stuart Symes arrived at the beach and swam to him. After two or three attempts to reach the beach, defeated by the backwash, he took Mr Lee beyond the surf to await help.

Andrew Chantrey, on duty at Maraenui Police Station, heard a call for ropes and floatation devices. He could not find a rope at the station so took a long extension cord.

Arriving at the beach, he saw Ted-Stuart and Jeremy in the water and Ben emerging carrying a child. Holding one end of the extension cord, with a colleague on the beach holding the other, he swam towards the men and together they got to shore.

“Our reactions often, I think, are instinctive,” says Ben. “I got there and just knew I had to get out to that little boy.

"I also had a fair idea of how much trouble the young rescuer was in, and I needed to act fast.

“It’s absolutely heart-breaking that we couldn’t save the little boy and his family are never far from my thoughts.

“But we did what we could on the day and we are lucky Jeremy Lee made it back to shore with the help of my colleagues, who also risked it all.” 

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Jeanette Park praised the officers involved.

“The awards are thoroughly well-deserved,” she says. “ Senior Constable Ben Whitley acted selflessly and courageously to help people in an extremely dangerous situation.

“His whānau will be immensely proud of him as he receives recognition alongside Mr Lee.

“We also acknowledge the role of Constables Chantrey and Symes and plan to recognise them at a later date.”

For their parts in the response, former Sergeant Shane Greville received a District Commander’s Commendation and Constables Rochelle Bryant and Hazel Mitchell received Area Commander’s Commendations.

LEE/WHITLEY CITATION (Government House website)(link is external)

Former Senior Constable Kurt Waugh was alone on duty in Te Puke in 2011 when he received a report of a suicidal woman. On arrival at her house, he found it on fire.

He tackled the fire with the fire extinguisher from his patrol car and a garden hose, then used his baton to break the ranch slider to enter the house.

With the increasing intensity of the fire and poor visibility because of smoke he searched the ground floor – exiting several times to regain his breath – then moved upstairs where he found the woman in a locked room. He carried her to safety.

WAUGH CITATION (Government House website)(link is external)

On 14 February 2023, amid the chaos of Cyclone Gabrielle, father and son contactors Tim and Matt Dodge used a digger on the back of a truck to rescue 17 people, including Police staff, from flooding between Hastings and Napier.

In Links Road they found and rescued several people stranded on a roof. On Pākōwhai Road they rescued 10 people – including police – stranded in a tree by floodwaters, surrounded by powerlines.

At one point Matt was briefly swept away. Ultimately the flood overwhelmed their truck and they climbed on the roof, from where the rescue was completed with assistance from a rescue boat.

DODGE CITATION (Government House website) 

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