One year after floods devastated the Manawatu and central North Island, RNZAF helicopter crewman Chris Jowsey’s bravery has been recognised.
One year after floods devastated the Manawatu and central North Island, RNZAF helicopter crewman Chris Jowsey’s bravery has been recognised. The former RAF maintainer is modest about his actions and subsequent award, however, and says “any one member of the crew would have done what I did. I just happened to be on the spot.
” Flight Sergeant Chris Jowsey is to be presented with the New Zealand Bravery Medal by the Governor- General at a ceremony in April.
During the floods the then-Sergeant was winchman on an RNZAF Iroquois helicopter tasked with rescuing people from devastated parts of Wanganui and Manawatu. His aircraft was told that two men were caught in floodwaters in Whangaehu River, near the township of Kauangaroa.
“When we arrived the first man was chest deep in the water, so I was winched down and was able to help him to safety. The helicopter captain noticed another guy being swept downstream. We didn’t know how deep the water was as the river was full of hay bales and debris.”
The aircraft was positioned downstream and Sergeant Jowsey winched into the river. As the man came within reach he caught hold of him, but a combination of the force of the water and the tension of the winch cable dragged both men under water. While he was under water one of Sergeant Jowsey’s boots became snagged on an obstruction. “I was thinking, ‘how the heck am I going to get out of this?’ I thought I could disconnect the guy from the strop and he could float to the surface and be winched in, but I was concerned that the winch cable could get snagged and pull the helicopter towards the water.”
He managed to kick free of the obstruction and placed the man in the rescue strop where he was winched to safety. Sergeant Jowsey and his helicopter team went on to rescue three more people that day.
His bravery citation said he displayed “courage, professionalism and great compassion” throughout the day. “We were so busy I didn’t really have time to think about it much. It was a team effort really. If it wasn’t for the pilot, the other crewman and the maintainers, none of it would have happened anyway.”
Flight Sergeant Jowsey, from Nottinghamshire in the United Kingdom, joined the RNZAF after 10 years with the RAF maintaining Tornado jets.