Aviator honoured with bravery award

The medal was presented to him by Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House in Wellington this week.

At the ceremony Dame Cindy acknowledged the exceptional courage and presence of mind that Corporal Brown and others who sought to aid people in dire need of assistance, without pausing to consider the very real risk to their own lives.

Corporal Brown was the winch operator on a No.3 Squadron NH90 helicopter tasked to rescue people trapped by rising flood waters on the Canterbury Plains on the night of May 31 2021.

Conditions were extremely difficult for helicopter operations because of heavy rain, low visibility, very strong winds and a low cloud base.

His citation read that “undaunted by these conditions, the crew approached a man trapped in a large pine tree who could not be extracted by rescue swimmers. The only option was to attempt a winch rescue by helicopter, not usually attempted for tree rescues due to entanglement risk”.

“Corporal Brown was lowered on the winch cable to the base of the tree in an attempt to reach the man in the branches above. Corporal Brown was suddenly submerged in the fast-flowing water and could not raise his head to catch his breath. The winch operator, having lost sight of Corporal Brown, winched him back aboard”.

The man they were trying to save was becoming hypothermic, exhausted and increasingly unable to maintain his position.

The citation went on to read “The helicopter began searching downriver, with Corporal Brown spotting the man clinging to a submerged tree. The crew considered another winch extraction, noting the risks of fast-flowing water and the difficulty of maintaining a steady position, acknowledging the man would likely be swept away and drowned if he could not be extracted.

“Corporal Brown was lowered on the winch cable, avoided being snagged on the submerged tree, and attempted to place a rescue strop over the man. As the man needed one arm to keep himself on the tree and above water, he struggled to secure himself in the strop, which would usually be placed over a person’s head and under both armpits, then requiring the rescued person to support themselves”.

Corporal Brown determined an improvised winch technique would be required.

“With the man partially in the strop, Corporal Brown wrapped his arms around the man’s torso in a ‘bear hug’ to prevent him from falling. The helicopter crew raised Corporal Brown and the man out of the water, noticing that the man was not secure and could fall. Rather than winching them onboard, the helicopter lifted Corporal Brown and the man at a low height to a nearby riverbank, while Corporal Brown stayed wrapped around the man”.

The rescued man was then handed over to Police Search and Rescue personnel.

Corporal Brown’s citation concluded by stating his actions “have exemplified the Air Force’s core values of courage, commitment, comradeship and integrity”.