17 July, 2007
Primary school children and adults were taken to higher ground by Army soldiers and trucks after flooding in rural settlements in Hawke’s Bay this morning.
Children, teachers and some residents from Puketapu and Maraekakaho communities were rescued by soldiers from the Napier-based 7th Wellington Hawkes Bay Battalion.
The Army received a call at 9.15am this morning from Napier Police requesting assistance to help rescue primary school children trapped in their classroom at the settlement of Puketapu.
Two Unimog trucks were sent to the school, with another two Unimog trucks sent to Maraekakaho School around an hour later to evacuate students there because of rising flood waters.
"No other vehicle could get across apart from a mog. Most of the kids thought it was great that an army truck had come and they thought it was all a great adventure,” Staff Sergeant Greg Molloy, the leader of the Unimog packet to Marekakaho, said.
Six Unimogs and 20 Army personnel will be on standby tonight to assist authorities if further help is needed.
ENDS
For further information contact: Dave Courtney, New Zealand Army Public Relations, (04) 496 0296 or (021) 487 980.