KEY POINTS:
When the first survivor of the Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy made it back to base cold and injured, teacher Daniel Charman was there to give comfort.
Over the next few hours, the 31-year-old helped the three other students who made it back, rallied the 30-strong group of other Elim Christian College children also on the trip and - when the police asked for his help - undertook the grim task of confirming the identity of the six teenagers and teacher Tony McClean who had lost their lives.
As three separate investigations into the April tragedy continue, Mr Charman was this week awarded a commander's commendation from the Central District Police for his actions.
The school will also apply for posthumous police bravery awards to honour two others: Mr McClean and student Anthony Mulder. Both died in the swollen waters with another person strapped to them.
Mr McClean was the last to leave the ledge on which the group sheltered when the water levels rose unexpectedly during the trip. He had tied disabled student Tom Hsu to his front.
Anthony, 16, mirrored the teacher's heroic actions by strapping to his body his friend Floyd Fernandes, who was frightened of going alone.
"We're very proud of our son," mother Miriam Mulder told the Weekend Herald yesterday, speaking publicly for the first time about his bravery. "We knew before we even heard that he would have been helping other students."
Natasha Bray, Portia McPhail and Tara Gregory, all 16, also died in the tragedy.
The recognition for Mr Charman followed a visit by the victims' families to the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre this month, during which they saw the river and spoke to those involved, including instructor Jodie Sullivan.
"We know from the other kids in her group, they thought the world of her," said Mrs Mulder. "We know she did all she could."
For Mr Charman, who had two years of nursing training before becoming a teacher six years ago, it was an honour to help in a time of need.
He said he not only identified the victims but prayed for each of them and committed them to God.
"I just prayed to God, 'Thank you for these people', and I just prayed individually for each of them," said the college's head of IT.
"Looking back, I probably should have done it quietly - but I did it out loud. So all the police and the ambulance [workers] were probably thinking, 'What's this guy doing?' But I wanted to do it and I'm glad I did it."
Mr Charman arranged for students to pack the belongings of their peers who had died.
He was presented with the award at a special assembly this week, accompanied by an album with photographs and messages from Year 12 pupils.
One that stood out to the teacher read: "You're a legend and you're my hero."
"I don't feel like I am," Mr Charman said. "I think, to be honest, a lot of people would have done exactly the same."
SCHOOL SETTLES ON ADVENTUROUS LIVING MEMORIAL
An indoor rock climbing wall with seven routes signifying each of the seven lives lost in the Mangatepopo Stream tragedy is to be built in the Elim Christian College gym.
Principal Murray Burton said the idea for the living memorial came from Marcus Mulder, the older brother of student Anthony Mulder, who died while trying to help distressed friend Floyd Fernandes.
It has emerged Anthony had his friend strapped to him as they entered the swollen river, mirroring the heroic actions of teacher Tony McClean.
"It's a big thing for a 16-year-old to do but that's the sort of selfless boy he was," said mother Miriam Mulder, speaking publicly about the act for the first time yesterday.
"He couldn't have lived with himself if he'd let Floyd go down on his own knowing how frightened he was."
Marcus Mulder, 19, is a trainee youth worker who has continued his studies to become an outdoor instructor, majoring in rock climbing, in the face of the tragedy.
Mr Burton said many ideas had been discussed for the climbing wall and it was likely the routes of varying difficulty would be marked out in seven colours.
"We will also then be able to make it available to the community, so the community then also starts to connect in with what's happened."
Mr Burton said the memorial fund that opened after the April flash flood stood at about $55,000. Businesses, other schools and parents were among the donors.
The rock wall project was estimated to cost about $80,000.
Mr Burton said once it was signed off by the fund committee, a concerted fundraising drive would begin to raise the rest.
The fund would also look after the needs of affected families and probably help establish a scholarship in partnership with Rotary.
* The account number for the Elim Christian College Mangatepopo Memorial Fund at the Bank of New Zealand is 02-0214-0016606-006
