Mr Jason Rewita
On the 2nd October 2017, Jason Rewita was working with colleagues on Heretaunga Street in Hastings when he noticed thick smoke.
He and his colleagues ran towards the direction of the smoke.
An unoccupied building was on fire, and Mr Rewita could hear a child screaming from inside.
There was no way to access the main entrance through the smoke, but Mr Rewita knew he could access another entrance off a side street. He ran towards it with his colleague. The entrance was blocked by a large bar gate.
Mr Rewita and his colleague were able to bend the bars of the gate sufficiently to allow Mr Rewita to crawl through. He ran towards the building. The smoke was so thick he could not see in front of him.
About 15 metres from the bank he found a young boy running around with his whole body on fire. Mr Rewita first tried to pat the flames out with his hands, and then picked the child up and carried him towards the gate.
At one point Mr Rewita had to stop and put the boy down so that he could catch his breath. He continued to try to extinguish the flames on the child’s clothing.
Mr Rewita and a colleague carried the boy to a more open area, where he comforted the child while members of the public assisted with first aid until an ambulance arrived.
The child was taken to hospital, but he later died because of the significant burns on his body. Mr Rewita received hospital treatment for smoke inhalation.
Mr Rewita had no regard for his own safety and was selfless in taking immediate action in his attempt to save a child’s life.