Christopher Luxon will be sworn in as Prime Minister and his new coalition Government with Act and NZ First can get rolling.
As the Wairoa River flowed late on New Year’s Eve two years ago, Napier-based Sergeant Willie Tran made the calculated decision to leap into the roaring current.
He wasn’t just met with a torrent of water, but also a torrent of abuse.
Now he’s been presented with a Royal Humane Society Bravery Award for his heroic actions on that terrifying night.
It was near dark, and Tran and his partner had made every effort to catch a male, who had been lurking around the Wairoa campground earlier that evening.
“I was working in Mahia at the time for a New Year’s operation. We finished our shift, but I was staying in Wairoa, so we were travelling back there in the early hours of the morning,” Tran recalled.
“We got a call about a person acting suspiciously in the Wairoa campground. Local staff had already been called out to another job, and we were close enough so we attended.”
Sargeant Willie Tran saved a drowning man two years ago on the Wairoa River. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hearing some rustling, the pair soon found the topless alleged offender who immediately made a run for it.
“He got to the riverbank and decided he had nowhere to go, so decided to jump in,” Tran said.
Encouraging the man to come back was unfruitful. He continued to make his way across the river.
“He got to maybe halfway across and realised he was in a bit of trouble trying to go upstream for a long time. The river was flowing pretty quickly, and it was still quite dark,” Tran said.
After about 20 minutes of treading water, Tran saw the man start to sink. He knew he had to do something.
“I had to make the call to go in after him.”
Tran swam towards the man, who continued to abuse him for close to 40 minutes as they fought the current.
“He was warning me if I got close, he was going to do something bad.”
A mix of police and surf life-saving training from his younger years kicked into gear.
“I had to use some slippery empty-hand tactics to restrain him and then ended up rescue-towing him back to the riverbank. It was also about being aware of your surroundings and safety as well.”
The man was eventually admitted to Wairoa Hospital for treatment and later taken into custody.
A selfless hero with 14 years of service in the force, Tran said it was “really humbling” to be recognised for his bravery.
“I guess the biggest thing for me is I struggle with being in the limelight. It was a really cool honour for me and my family to be realised in that way. Without them, I don’t think I’d be able to do this job I do.”
He also had a message for people over the New Year’s period.
“Be safe, look after each other, and understand your limits.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
