Surf Life Saving NZ Hawke's Bay Awards of Excellence Sportsperson of the Year Bella Bassett Foss. Photo / Supplied
Senior Ocean Beach Kiwi lifesaver Helen Jackson was named Hawke's Bay Region Lifeguard of the Year at an annual awards ceremony held on Saturday.
She was praised for her achievements including dealing with numerous preventative actions, first aid and communicating with the public in the water with a tube/fins, board
or IRB, as well as punctuality, preparedness and happy demeanour.
It was one of 17 Surf Life Saving NZ awards for Hawke's Bay, of which Waimarama claimed seven, Westshore six, and Ocean Beach four, in a season in which lifeguards in the New Zealand Surf Life Saving Association's Central Region completed 17 rescues, 42 assists, and 36 first aid incidents, and 28,950 people were involved in 4912 preventative actions.
Among Waimarama's honours were Instructor of the Year, won by Biance Sanko, and Sportsperson of the Year, claimed by Bella Bassett-Foss, while Westshore's Liam Bowden was Coach of the Year. Jacob Crawley, of OBK, was named Volunteer of the Year.
Hawke's Bay club support officer Debbie Moodie said the awards recognise the members who have made major contributions to Surf Life Saving in Hawke's Bay, but lamented:
"There are a number of people in each club that contribute to this success but we can only recognise a few. Many have put in long hours to achieve success."
