WASLEY, Simon Andrew

Lieutenant, Royal New Zealand Navy

CITATION

New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration

Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

For services to the New Zealand Defence Force.  Lieutenant Simon Wasley was the Operations Officer for HMNZS Otago while patrolling north of Cape Reinga on 8 July 2014.

His ship received a 'mayday' distress call advising that a sailing boat had broken her rudder in heavy seas and was in danger of sinking with three persons on-board. HMNZS Otago responded to the distress call and established that rigid inflatable boats could not be safely launched in the prevailing sea conditions. A plan was formulated to recover the sail boat's crew from their life raft via Otago's pilot ladder with Lieutenant Walsey, a former operational diver, volunteering as a reserve rescue swimmer. As the sail boat's life raft was brought alongside Otago it was determined that the pilot ladder could not be used due to the excessive roll that the ship was experiencing.  Lieutenant Wasley entered the water and made his way to the life raft. He guided the life raft to within five metres of Otago's bow and despite the rough conditions, Lieutenant Wasley fitted each of the sail boat's crew with a rescue recovery strop and ensured they were safely lifted clear of the water, one at a time. Given the conditions it was unlikely the crew would have been rescued without the professionalism, skill and courage displayed by Lieutenant Wasley

KNOWN AWARDS

New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration

NOTES

Born

Died

THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT