An Omanu surf lifesaver credited for both his leadership abilities and involvement in the unsuccessful search for Jack Dixon has been named Bay of Plenty Lifeguard of the year.

Omanu Surf Lifesaving Club's Thomas Yule was announced the 2015 recipient at last night's Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Surf Lifesaving Awards of Excellence, where a number of awards handed out at Tauranga's Trinity Wharf.

Surf lifesavers scour the rocks around Mauao hours after five-year-old Jack Dixon was swept into the water. Photos: Bruce Barnard.

The annual awards celebrate all the various clubs and athletes have achieved over a bumper 2014/15 summer season.

Surf Life Saving Clubs in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel areas include Trust Waikato Hot Water Beach, Trust Waikato Tairua, Trust Waikato Pauanui, Trust Waikato Onemana, Trust Waikato Whangamata, Trust Waikato Whiritoa, Trust Waikato Waihi Beach, Mount Maunganui, Omanu, Papamoa, Maketu, Pukehina, Whakatane and Opotiki.

Together, they undertook 455 rescues in the 2014/15 season, up from 333 rescues in the 2013/14 season.

The lifesaving awards were split between the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel to allow for the recognition of more volunteers across the two regions. Two of the night's top awards were Lifeguard of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

The Lifeguard of the Year award recognises a member who has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery and development of drowning prevention services for SLSNZ. It is aimed at active surf lifeguards undertaking lifeguarding duties.

SLNZ Eastern Region club and membership development manager Sarah Leppard says Thomas shows great leadership and support to both younger and older members of his patrol team.

He was heavily involved in the search operation for Jack Dixon at Mount Maunganui along with a number of other local searches, rescues and call-out events throughout the season. He has also completed the BP Leaders for Life Programme.

'Thomas has stepped up as an IRB instructor this season, acted as an event lifeguard and mentored a number of other members within the club. He has also undertaken a number of personal development opportunities, including leading the surf rescue dog trial,” says Sarah.

Volunteer of the Year for the Bay of Plenty was awarded to Naomi Davoren from Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club.

The purpose of this award is to recognise an outstanding member who has made a significant volunteer contribution to enhancing surf lifesaving within their local area during the 2014/2015 season.

Sarah says Naomi is a valuable member of the club having been board member for three seasons, a member of the junior surf committee, a member of the sport committee and a key person in Papamoa's Oceans campaigns.

'Last season, Naomi volunteered 35 hours on patrol as well as coaching Junior Surf every Sunday.”

Thomas and Naomi, along with the Coromandel recipients, will go on to be finalists in the national Awards of Excellence, being held in Wellington in September.

Rescue of the Year for the Bay of Plenty was awarded to Mount Maunganui for their part in the search for Jack Dixon on October 1, 2014.

Jack and his extended family were enjoying the start of school holidays when a large wave swept him and two girls, sisters aged 12 and 14, out to sea as they played in an area at the base of Mauao known as Shelly Beach.

The two girls managed to get to a nearby rock before being helped to shore by two adults.

But Jack disappeared from view, and what ensued gripped the nation as lifeguards, police and the wider community searched tirelessly to try and locate the little boy. But to no avail.

Around 1500 volunteer hours of searching were logged by the club, with 20-to-30 people per day involved for the first seven days of the operation.

A new award created by Allan and Hayley Mundy, the Harrison Mundy Memorial Scholarship Award, was presented to the Eastern Region's top Rookie Leon Castle from Papamoa SLSC.

He participated in his club's rookie programme throughout the season, attended the Eastern Region Rookie Challenge and completed patrols with lifeguards within the club.

'Leon is a deserving and committed rookie and it is fabulous to be able to reward and recognise our upcoming lifeguards,” says Sarah.

Overall Club of the Year was awarded to Omanu Beach in the Bay of Plenty.

Other awards saw Mount Maunganui's Kent Jarman pick up the patrol Captain of the Year, club mate Gary King receive both the Instructor of the Year and Examiner of the Year, and Papamoa's Justin Martin Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Coach of the Year.

Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Surf Lifesaving Awards of Excellence

Bay of Plenty award winners:

• Lifeguard of the Year: Thomas Yule, Omanu
• Patrol Captain of the Year: Kent Jarman, Mount Maunganui
• Instructor of the Year: Gary King, Mount Maunganui
• Examiner of the Year: Gary King, Mount Maunganui
• Volunteer of the Year: Naomi Davoren, Papamoa
• Rescue of the Year: Mount Maunganui, October 1, 2014, Jack Dixon search
• Innovation of the Year: Thomas Yule, K9 Surf Rescue Dogs
• Patrol Club of the Year: Omanu Beach
• Overall Club of the Year:Omanu Beach

Coromandel award winners:

• Lifeguard of the Year: Christiaan Maarhuis, Trust Waikato Waihi Beach LGS
• Patrol Captain of the Year: Thomas Richards, Trust Waikato Tairua SLSC
• Instructor of the Year: Eden Bray, Trust Waikato Whangamata SLSC
• Examiner of the Year: Matt Kerr, Trust Waikato Tairua SLSC
• Volunteer of the Year: Rob Ford, Trust Waikato Tairua SLSC
• Rescue of the Year: Pauanui, April 12, 2015, off duty rescue of four people from a rip
• Innovation of the Year: Trust Waikato Waihi Beach holiday programme
• Patrol Club of the Year: Trust Waikato Whiritoa LGS
• Overall Club of the Year:Trust Waikato Waihi Beach LGS

SPORTS AWARDS

Bay of Plenty/Coromandel award winners:

• Emerging Coach of the Year: Gary Waller, Whakatane
• Coach of the Year: Justin Martin, Papamoa
• Official of the Year: Ross Merrett, Papamoa
• Sports Team of the Year: Mount Maunganui Under 19 men's canoe crew and Trust Waikato Whangamata U 19 men's surf boat crew
• Sportsperson of the Year: U14 female: Isabella Akroyd, Mount Maunganui
• Sportsperson of the Year: U14 male: Daniel Shanahan, Mount Maunganui
• Sportsperson of the Year: U16 female: Libby Bradley, Mount Maunganui
• Sportsperson of the Year: U16 male: Daniel Barron, Mount Maunganui
• Sportsperson of the Year: U19 female: Madison Kidd, Papamoa
• Sportsperson of the Year: U19 male: Ben Johnston, Papamoa
• Sportsperson of the Year: open female: Natalie Peat, Papamoa
• Sportsperson of the Year: open male: Max Beattie, Omanu
• Sportsperson of the Year: masters female: Naomi Davoren, Papamoa
• Sportsperson of the Year: masters male: Ian Glover, Omanu
• International Sports Performance: Olivia Eaton, Mount Maunganui

Honours and Awards:

Regional Service Awards:

• Simon Oldham, Omanu
• Denny Enright, Omanu
• Don Colbourne, Papamoa
• Justin Martin, Papamoa
• Brent Warner, Mt Maunganui

Regional Distinguished Service Awards

• Stu Lowth, Papamoa
• Ross Merrett, Papamoa
• Brent Warner, Mt Maunganui