Group who saved family from burning SUV awarded for bravery

2:21 pm on 30 September 2016

Eight New Zealanders were acknowledged for their bravery with Royal Humane Society of New Zealand awards at Government House in Wellington today.

Murray Michie receiving his bravery medal from the new Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy.

Murray Michie receiving his silver bravery medal from the new Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy. Photo: RNZ / Adriana Weber

They included a group of five who rescued a mother and her three daughters from a burning SUV which had flipped following a head-on crash near Bulls, in July last year.

Strangers to each other at the time, Murray Michie, Anthony Duffy, Jamie Yalden, Stacey Watt and Kate Elliot cut through jammed seatbelts and kept the flames at bay while they freed the family.

The vehicle exploded just after they rescued the mother.

Mr Michie said he did not hesitate to help.

"I don't really know what was running through my head. My aim was just to get the people out of the car and get them to a safe site, knowing the car was going to blow up. It was a fair blaze and it was only a short space of time to get them out and that was my achievement."

Payge Olds.

Payge Olds, who received a silver medal. Photo: RNZ / Adriana Weber

Another group were honoured for rescuing a drowning man at night near Eastbourne in Wellington.

Payge Olds, who was not a strong swimmer, swam out to the man who was unconscious in the water.

She called out for help when she started to struggle with the man's dead weight.

Jonathan Derrick and Logan Mason, who were not confident in the water, helped her bring the man to shore where they then performed CPR.

The man died in hospital three days later.