Rescue veteran's efforts celebrated

John McLellan is not one for a fuss. Ask him what he thinks of receiving the Queen's Service Medal for services to marine search and rescue, and the 82-year-old Moeraki identity responds, "I thought that sort of thing was wiped long ago."

He might be modest - "that's what happens if you live long enough.

They say, 'some silly bugger, poke it on him'," - but it is yet another well-deserved accolade for a man who has been involved with marine search and rescue for the past 56 years.

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Earlier this year, at a function at Parliament, he was awarded the New Zealand Search and Rescue Council's highest award, the NZSAR Gold Award, for the most significant contribution to search and rescue in the New Zealand region.

Receiving awards - affectionately referred to as "John's clutter" by his wife Pauline - was the only time he got out of his jeans and fishing shirts, she laughed.

Mr McLellan's involvement with search and rescue began more than five decades ago when he became "really uptight" after a drowning.

He was a founding member of North Otago Search and Rescue and served as chairman for many years.

He remains marine adviser for the organisation.

He established Moeraki Marine Radio in 1953 and was a member of the Dunedin Marine Search and Rescue organisation and Maritime Radio for Otago-Southland.

He was awarded life membership of both the Federation of Commercial Fishermen and North Otago Search and Rescue.

Mr McLellan said he did not expect to be thanked.

Some people were grateful, and while there were sometimes promises of the gifting of life rafts,"within 24 hours it's all forgotten".

"If you're in it for thank yous, you're wasting your time," he said.

From his home overlooking Moeraki harbour, he has spent countless hours monitoring radio channels.

Listening to the radio has become just part of his daily life.

Mr McLellan said a memorable operation involved rescuing a sinking fishing vessel, and its dog.

It was the middle of the night and there was a crew of three, along with a dog.

When they reached the rescue boat the dog leapt aboard, and went straight to Mr McLellan's bed where it stayed until they eventually reached port.

While he thought the dog would be grateful to reach dry land and relieve itself, it sat on the wharf and "cried to get back on the boat".

The Time Out boating triple fatality, off the North Otago coast in 2003, was one that "still hurts".

"That was a sad shambles", Mr McLellan said.

The gap of almost three hours between skipper Ian Anderson activating an emergency beacon and a rescue helicopter arriving attracted widespread criticism.

The various delays involved led to a restructuring of the way New Zealand's rescue service was operated and co-ordinated at a national level.

The use of helicopters, along with improved radio technology, had been "absolutely revolutionising" for search and rescue, Mr McLellan said.

However, if the weather was unsuitable for flying, then searchers still had to revert "back to old ways of doing things", he said.

Mr McLellan had no plans for retirement.

"When I give that up, that'll be me gone," he said.