Editorial: Life's quiet heroes

Teacher Andre Vogel (left) and 16-year-old student Gabriel Runge were killed in a crash near Rotorua.

On November 28 last year staff from the Rotorua Daily Post were at the scene of a fatal car crash near Reporoa where Australian school student Gabriel Runge and one of his teachers, Andre Vogel, were killed.

Today, on Australia Day, and what would have been Gabriel's 17th birthday, we run a letter sent to us by his family thanking everyone in Rotorua and New Zealand for their help, support and compassion during what has been a very tragic time in their lives.

A young man's life was cut short and two little girls have lost their father.

To lose a child, to lose the father of your children, in such a way must be excruciatingly painful and our thoughts go out to the Runge and Vogel families.

As a journalist, attending the scene of any crash is often a traumatic experience, one that too often happens on our roads.

However, for those more closely involved - the parents and families of those who died - as well as the many emergency service personnel - the trauma is hard to imagine.

It's these unsung heroes who attend to the aftermath of tragedies like this one that we would like to honour today.

Our police, Fire Service, St John, rescue helicopter and victim support staff often undertake their work with little thanks or regard.

It's these people who have to deal with the immediate trauma of such a devastating event, and do so with stoic professionalism as well as compassion and understanding, as part and parcel of their jobs.

It is obvious the members of the Runge family understand this as well and we thank them for their honesty and kind words directed at those who often don't get public recognition for their work.

They are the people on the scene picking up the pieces, consoling the grief-stricken and mending the injured.

It's not something everyone can do and for that we should give them the credit they deserve.