The Raglan Surf Lifesaving team has been awarded one of the nation’s highest search and rescue honours for their swift and life-saving response during a dramatic boat capsize on the Raglan Bar.
On Tuesday 6 May 2025, the 2024 New Zealand Search and Rescue Gold Award for Operational Activity was presented to Raglan Surf Lifesaving Club by the Hon James Meager, Associate Minister for Transport, in recognition of their outstanding rescue of three people on 1 December 2024.
Accepting the award on behalf of the club, Chris Malone, Raglan Surf SAR Coordinator, said:
“It was a real honour to represent the Raglan SAR Squad in Wellington, and to have our team acknowledged at a national level.
The dedication and commitment shown by each of our team members means that people get to go home safely to their families following high level incidents.
I am really proud of the knowledge, capabilities and skills of our squad. I would also like to acknowledge Raglan Coastguard, paramedics and NZ Police, who responded and supported with the rescue.”
The incident unfolded when a small fishing boat capsized attempting to cross the Raglan Bar. While the son was thrown clear and the mother managed to escape, the father remained trapped inside the overturned hull, breathing from a shrinking air pocket.
Lifeguards from Raglan Surf Lifesaving Club were training nearby with Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs) and responded within minutes. The first IRB reached the mother and son four minutes after being alerted by Police, pulling them from the water. A second IRB soon arrived to begin the search for the missing man.
One lifeguard entered the water to check the upturned boat, cutting through fishing line and knocking on the hull. Hearing a response, the lifeguard forced open the forward cabin hatch and pulled the man free – an action credited with saving his life.
All three family members were assessed by Hato Hone St John and transported to Waikato Hospital with minor injuries.
As lifeguards returned to base, they also rescued a swimmer caught in a rip, and assisted two body boarders in another. Coastguard Raglan, also deployed by Police, towed the overturned vessel clear of the bar.
The Raglan lifeguards involved were:
Amelia Burnett (Millie), Emma Bridges, Fletcher Harnish, Flynn Powell, Hamish Pook, Joshua Slattery, Julius Kite, Kathleen Zgorski (Katie), Sean Young, and Chris Malone (Bugsy).
The New Zealand Search and Rescue Awards, run by the NZSAR Council, honour both operational excellence and long-term commitment in search and rescue. The Gold Award is the highest distinction, reserved for teams and individuals who perform at the very highest level.
