NZer hailed as hero after Taleban grenade attack

Rifleman James McKie. Photo / Newstalk ZB

A New Zealander who saved two of his British Army colleagues from a Taleban grenade attack is being hailed as a hero.

Rifleman James McKie, 29, scooped up a live grenade and hurled it away just seconds before it exploded during a firefight in Afghanistan's Helmand province six days ago.

Rifleman McKie has been stationed with the British Army in Afghanistan for five months. He previously served as a medic in the New Zealand Army for seven years, joining the force after he left high school.

Rifleman McKie and two other soldiers had been involved in a firefight from a compound roof in the Sangin area of Helmand when the attack happened, Sky News reported.

A Taleban hand grenade struck Rifleman McKie's platoon commander and landed at his feet. Rifleman McKie then picked up the grenade and hurled it as far as he could.

"I knew that I had to get it away from us," he said.

"I remember thinking that if I didn't pull this off, it was going to hurt."

The grenade exploded mid-air a split second later, sending fragments into Rifleman McKie's face and arm, and injuring his commander's leg. The third soldier escaped unharmed.

"There was no way you could throw yourself off and not get injured, so I made a decision to pick up the grenade and throw it off the roof," Rifleman McKie said.

"My platoon has taken a lot of casualties. I really didn't want to see anyone else get hurt."

Commanding officer Captain Graeme Kerr said he owed his life to Rifleman McKie's brave actions.

"Bearing in mind you only have three seconds when it lands by your feet and half a second to make a decision and another three seconds to throw it, that's pretty heroic in my book," he said.

Standard procedure was to jump away from the grenade, Capt Kerr said.

"He's one of those very brave people that has a complete disregard for his own life and a high regard for other people's."

Capt Kerr, from Recce Platoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was recovering in hospital in Britain.

Rifleman McKie continued to fight on the front line and is now in line for a bravery award.

His father, Andrew McKie, told One News he was proud of his son.

"I think he understates everything but he has been in the reconnaissance platoon, been at the forefront of a lot of really fierce fighting, and just reading his letters, we're very proud of him," he said.

- NZPA