The Good Samaritan Heather from Papanui has been found.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put out a call to find a Good Samaritan who helped the wife of a Fijian imam killed in the Christchurch mosque attacks.
Ardern was unveiling a plaque at the Lautoka Jame Masjid in Nadi remembering the Fijian Muslims who died and spoke with the imam's widow, Saira Bibi Patel, whom she'd met in Christchurch the day after the tragedy.
She said she had been moved by Patel's grief.
"I still remember talking with you that day as you desperately looked for your husband, your imam, I remember talking with you as you retraced your steps and feeling pained as I handed you over to a member of the Red Cross to continue to support you and to assist you.
"In your darkest of hours, I can tell you that I will never forget that grief I saw that day."
As part of her visit to Fiji, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today met the families of two Fijians killed in the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch and unveiled a plaque to remember them inside Lautoka Mosque. pic.twitter.com/X1RcBXKAvc
— New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (@MFATNZ) February 26, 2020
Meeting again yesterday, Patel told Ardern of a Christchurch woman - Heather from Papanui - who drove her around the city, trying to help her find her husband.
"She tells me she just asked Heather to drive her around Christchurch until she found a crowd of people because she thought she would find information amongst that crowd, and that is where I found Mrs Patel."
Patel and her husband Hafiz Musa Patel were visiting Christchurch at the time of the attacks.
He was shot at Linwood Mosque and while she ran to his side, police led her outside while paramedics attended to him.
It wasn't until the next day, when authorities revealed the names of those in hospital, that she realised he was not among them and had died.
Patel wanted to thank Heather for helping her in her search but didn't know her last name so Ardern put out a call to find her so she could pass on Patel's deep gratitude.
Jacinda Ardern meets with members of the Muslim community after the shootings at the two Christchurch mosques. Photo / SNPA
"To Heather from Papanui, thank you for embodying the New Zealand spirit of generosity and kindness that we saw in the moments after that attack, and we hope we can reunite you with Mrs Patel."
Now Heather has been found.
Heather Maxwell, who has now retired to Dunedin, says Patel turned up at her neighbour's door after being separated from her husband in the shooting in March last year.
"There was no one else to take her down, and I was there with my car. Of course I'd offer to help."
She said she would love to meet Patel again and hear how she's doing.
