07/05/2025
Proud is an understatement.
Last night Fletcher Harnish and Chris Bugsy Malone, on behalf of the Raglan Surf Lifesaving Club, attended the NZ Search and Rescue Awards held at Parliament.
Raglan SLSC was awarded the 2024 Operational Gold Award(the highest honor in NZSAR) for the rescue of 3 people on the Raglan Bar in December 2024.
"On 1 December 2024, Police were informed a small fishing boat carrying a family of three had capsized crossing the Raglan Bar. Although the son had been thrown clear and the mother was able to get out of the boat, the father remained trapped in the upturned hull, breathing from a small air pocket. Members of the Raglan Surf Life Saving Club were training nearby with Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB). They responded immediately and pulled the mother and son from the water. Unable to locate the father, a Surf Lifeguard entered the water to check the boat, cutting his way through tangled fishing line. After banging on the hull and hearing a response from the forward cabin, the surf lifeguard forced open the cabin hatch and pull the trapped man free. These swift actions almost certainly saved the man’s life."
This is amazing recognition for not only our local Raglan clubbies but all volunteer lifeguards across Aotearoa.
Congratulations to Far North Surf Rescue for their Certificate of Achievement for the rescue of fishermen swept from rocks near Tapotupotu Bay.
Special thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters who make these types of rescues possible.
