THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT
SHADBOLT Scott Martin
Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service
CITATION
New Zealand Bravery Medal
Special Honours List 23 June 2014
On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing the collapse of the Pyne Gould Corporation building, trapping around 30 people inside. Firefighter Scott Shadbolt was tasked with formulating an extraction plan for a man discovered trapped inside the building, in danger of bleeding to death with his legs crushed between a concrete pillar and a collapsed floor section. Firefighter Shadbolt was assisted by a Police constable and two civilian doctors in performing a complete double amputation of the trapped man’s legs using a hacksaw and a penknife. The man was anesthetised with morphine and ketamine and tourniquets were applied to his legs. The civilian doctor performing the amputation became fatigued and the hacksaw was passed between the Police officer, the second doctor and Firefighter Shadbolt, who was in a better position to complete the operation. The man was placed in a tarpaulin and carried to waiting ambulance staff outside the building. Firefighter Shadbolt then continued on to create further access holes into the building and assist with rescue efforts. Scott Shadbolt performed an operation with no prior medical experience in unstable and confined conditions under the constant threat of aftershocks, resulting in the trapped man’s survival.
KNOWN AWARDS
New Zealand Bravery Medal
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