Tauranga hero cop honoured with bravery award

The Bay of Plenty Times 2013 Person of the Year winner Dean O'Connor has been honoured with a bravery award. PHOTO/FILE

The outstanding bravery of Senior Constable Deane O'Connor, who leapt from a bridge into the dark of Tauranga harbour to save a crash survivor in August last year, will be honoured with a New Zealand Police Association Bravery Award.

The award will be presented at midday today by Prime Minister John Key at the Association's 79th Annual Conference in Wellington.

The Police Association Bravery Awards are unique in that they represent recognition of an outstanding act of bravery by an officer's peers.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said Senior Constable O'Connor showed extraordinary courage in leaping from a bridge, at nightfall, into the dark waters of Tauranga to rescue crash survivor Ashley Donkersley.

"Mr Donkersley was unresponsive when Mr O'Connor reached him. The police officer kept himself and Mr Donkersley afloat for more than half an hour, alone in the cold and dark, and out of sight of any other potential rescuers, before managing to make shore, where he collapsed due to the cold and exhaustion."

"The actions of Senior Constable Deane O'Connor exemplified the traditions and highest ideals of policing.

"His decision to leap into the water, without hesitation, unquestionably saved the life of Mr Donkersley. It is this act of extraordinary bravery for which he is being honoured by his peers with a New Zealand Police Association Bravery Award.

"A New Zealand Police Association Bravery Award is the highest honour the Police Association can bestow on its members to recognise such extraordinary acts.

"It is fitting that the award is presented by New Zealand's Prime Minister, as the highest representative of the society police are sworn to protect," Mr Greg O'Connor said.