The bravery of a man who died trying to save his 10-year-old
son from drowning was recognised at a Waitakere City Council
meeting tonight.
Mayor Bob Harvey presented an In Memoriam Certificate on
behalf of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand to the
family of Kafoa Ngauamo.
On January 30, 2006, the family were enjoying a day at Green
Bay Beach on the northern shore of the Manukau Harbour.
Mr Ngauamo's son, Moteiva, had been paddling in shallow water
but ventured out in to chest deep water and soon got into
difficulty.
Unable to swim, and with the tide coming in, Moteiva became
stuck in the mud.
Mr Ngauamo swam out to his son, wrapped his arms around him,
freed him from the mud and pulled him out of the water. The
boy was rescued with help from passerby Donna Kitchener, but
the celebration soon turned to heartache as Mr Ngauamo
himself was sucked deeper into the mud.
Unable to free himself, the incoming tide rose over his head
and he drowned.
"This is an absolute tragedy," Mr Harvey said.
"My heart goes out to Mr Ngauamo's family whose joy at having
their son still with them is tinged with the utter sadness of
Kafoa losing his life in such circumstances."
Mr Harvey also presented Ms Kitchener with a certificate for
her brave efforts in helping rescuing Moteiva.
He also presented a Certificate of Merit from the society to
Senior Sergeant Garth Stockley for his part in saving two
swimmers in trouble at the notoriously dangerous Piha Beach
last year.
The off duty policeman had been bodysurfing at the popular
West Coast beach on March 22 when three swimmers were being
swept along the beach by a strong current and big waves.
One of the swimmers managed to get to shore and Mr Stockley
noticed one of the trio struggling to hold on to another
person in the huge surf.
Mr Stockley reached a teenager in the surf struggling to hold
on to another male and keep his head above water.
Fearing the worst Mr Stockley helped the teenager drag the
unconscious man to shore while being battered and knocked off
their feet by the large waves. He administered first aid
until emergency services arrived and airlifted the patient to
hospital, where he recovered.
"This is another example of ordinary people doing
extraordinary things for others," said Mr Harvey, who has
been a lifeguard on the West Coast for more than 40 years.
The Royal Humane Society of New Zealand bestows awards on
people who risk their lives to save the lives of others in
peril.
