Mr Liam Beale, NZBD, for an act of exceptional bravery in a situation of danger
On 15 March 2019 around 1.40pm, a lone gunman armed with semi-automatic shotguns and assault rifles, with several hundred rounds of ammunition, commenced an attack on the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue in Christchurch.
During the attack on the Mosque the gunman returned to his vehicle to collect further ammunition, and fired multiple shots along both directions of the street, on one occasion firing 27 shots in one direction.
Mr Liam Beale was driving his car, and turning into Deans Avenue, when he felt the reverberations of a gunshot through his car.
While driving down the street Mr Beale heard more shots and observed a man fall to the ground.
Hearing further gunshots, Mr Beale got out of his car, and retrieved his first aid kit from the back.
He made his way to a man who had been shot, and lying on the grass on the centre island of the road.
He moved the man several metres to shelter him between cars, and applied a trauma bandage to the man’s gunshot wounds.
Mr Beale then moved along the road to other victims, assessing the severity of their injuries, applying initial first aid, and moving those where he could to less exposed positions.
Mr Beale found a young girl with gunshot wounds lying face down on the pavement.
He ran to retrieve his last remaining trauma bandage from his car and returned to the girl.
He pressed a bandage onto her wounds, and picked her up and ran her down the road to where others could assist.
More people had gathered near Mr Beale at this stage, and he told them that the gunman was either still nearby or his whereabouts unknown and Police were unable to secure the scene to allow ambulance access.
One of the other people brought his utility vehicle down the road, and Mr Beale helped load the victims into the vehicle, and alerted emergency services that the vehicle would be leaving the scene carrying wounded people in need of attention.
Mr Beale remained on the scene, assisting the Police and victims.
Mr Beale placed his own life at risk, bravely searching for victims, assisting them and moving them to safety, while the gunman was active in the area.