Mate's desperate run for help

The Ruatoki valley where Billy Apiata ran for an hour to get help for his friend. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A distraught relative of war hero Willie Apiata made a desperate run yesterday to get help for a teenage boy trapped under an overturned car.

Billy Apiata - whose uncle was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2007 - ran 4km in the dark through the wilderness of the Bay of Plenty's Ruatoki in a bid to save Leslie Noema-Whakamoa, 14.

Apiata's run took him at least an hour and involved crossing the Whakatane River five times to reach the nearest telephone - at the home of his parents Maynard and Jeanette.

Brother-in-law Jason Amoroa said he heard Apiata screaming for someone to "ring the chopper" about 2.45am. The accident scene was so remote it took another hour to reach Leslie, who had already died.

The tragic events unfolded during a hunting trip by Noema-Whakamoa, Billy Apiata, in his 30s, and Katriana Thrupp, 17. The trio had gone into the wilds behind Ruatoki to spotlight for possums - a regular pursuit to raise money by selling pelt.

"That was the inspiration behind it, to make a bit of money for Christmas," said Thrupp's mother, who did not want to be named.

Amoroa said Apiata was driving, with Thrupp in the passenger seat, when the 4WD rolled about 1.30am while going down a slight incline.

He said the vehicle came to rest on Noema-Whakamoa's head, which had been forced out of the open window by the momentum. Thrupp and Apiata - still inside the vehicle - could hear Noema-Whakamoa screaming, asking them to get the truck off his head.

Climbing out, Apiata used a pole from the 4WD to try to lever the truck upright. Both men then tried digging with their bare hands around his head. When Noema-Whakamoa went "real quiet" about 15 minutes after the accident, Apiata decided to run for help while Thrupp sat with his cousin waiting for help.

Amoroa said Apiata found his boots too heavy to run in - so he took them off.

Taneatua chief fire officer Laurance Richardson said it took an hour by 4WD to reach the accident site after the alarm was raised. "The young fellow ... was gone by the time we got there."

Amoroa and eight others - including fire fighters and police - lifted the truck off Noema-Whakamoa and laid him flat before taking him to Whakatane mortuary with the coroner. Amoroa: "It's a wake up call for us all not to take life for granted."

Katriana's father Michael Thrupp said his son was traumatised. "We're all just stunned." His mother said the community was grieving for Noema-Whakamoa. "It's just a senseless waste of a life but it's just an accident. Those boys know the bush like the back of their hand." - The tangi will be in Ruatoki this week.

It was one of four fatal road accidents across the country yesterday. A female cyclist was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Manawatu.

In the Waikato, a man was killed about 30km east of Hamilton after rolling his car on Te Miro Rd about 7.30am.

In Otago, Irish tourist Leslie Armitage, 23, was killed after the Landrover he was driving rolled on a rural road in Poolburn.

Armitage and his passenger were not wearing seatbelts. Police said the alcohol was also likely to be a factor.

In Westland, one person was killed after a crash in a remote area near Franz Josef.