A Queenstown man who, along with his partner, accepted a bravery award in Wellington yesterday said the medal was the ultimate privilege, although he never felt they had done ‘‘anything special''.
Erik Bradshaw and Christine Ryan, of Queenstown, went to the aid of Irish climbers Donal Deery and Helen McClements, who fell about 250m on the Cascade Saddle in Mt Aspiring National Park on January 12, 2005.
Dr Deery (29) fell after diving to save Ms McClements, his partner, who slipped on soft snow. He died at the scene, but Ms McClements survived her serious injuries.
Yesterday, at Government House in Wellington, Mr Bradshaw and Ms Ryan were honoured with Royal Humane Society of New Zealand silver medals from society patron Governor-General Anand Satyanand.
Dr Deery's parents, Francis and Monica, attended the ceremony, having travelled from Belfast in Northern Ireland.
They spoke of the friendship their family had formed with the Queenstown couple who tried to save ‘‘their sporty, outgoing'' son.
‘‘It's lovely to see them get the award. They are two of the nicest people you could meet,'' said Mrs Deery as she fought back tears after the presentation.
They termed the Queenstown couple, who have since married, ‘‘angels''. Mr Bradshaw said it meant a lot to him that Dr Deery's parents had attended the ceremony.
Mr Bradshaw added that he and Ms Ryan did only what they had to do to help someone in need. He was humbled by the recognition.
During the rescue, Mr Bradshaw and Ms Ryan climbed, without technical equipment, down a dangerously steep and difficult face to reach the two climbers, who were some distance apart.
Each injured climber was placed in a sleeping bag. Mr Bradshaw tended to the unconscious Dr Deery and Ms Ryan to the injured, and still conscious Ms McClements.
Dr Deery soon stopped breathing and Mr Bradshaw started CPR, which he continued until the rescue team arrived, 50 minutes later.
The award citation read: ‘‘By responding as they did to the situation in which they found themselves, and without thought for their own safety, Erik Bradshaw and Christine Ryan made a significant contribution to the eventual rescue of one of the victims of this tragedy and were able to bring assistance both physical and emotional, to them both.'' - with NZPA
