The year's top achievements in surf lifesaving have been recognised at the Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Surf Lifesaving Awards of Excellence.

During the 2018/19 year, 164 people were rescued from immediately life-threatening situations by lifeguards from the 14 surf lifesaving clubs in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel Areas.

Another 322 people were also assisted to safety from potentially dangerous situations.

Bay of Plenty & Coromandel lifeguards carried out more than 38,000 preventative safety actions, put in 55,293 patrol hours at 24 different locations, spent 206 hours responding to emergency call-outs, and gave first aid to 1057 people.

'We have so many people in each of our clubs who put in so much time and energy to keep our lifeguards out on the beaches saving lives,” says SLSNZ Coromandel Club and Member Development Officer Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

'Each time our lifeguards protect someone from danger or save a life it shows the value of these teams – the difference they make to their communities is enormous.

'And we are very pleased to have our primary regional partner Zespri supporting these awards.”

Zespri Overall Club of the Year – Coromandel - Waihi Beach LGS (third year in a row!)

A large number of nominations were made for the awards, making judging tough, Gibbons-Campbell says.

The top volunteers of the year, for each area, were Andrew McDowell for Bay of Plenty, and Rachelle Bright for Coromandel.

Andrew McDowell has been heavily involved in leadership, mentoring, coaching and fundraising for his club Pukehina Surf Rescue, as well as being a patrol captain and senior lifeguard, carrying out maintenance work, helping organise and run a fundraising food truck, and investing a huge amount of time and effort into a new clubroom building project.

'Andy's commitment in all areas of club operation has ensured that Pukehina has been able to continue to thrive,” says Pukehina Surf Rescue secretary Deirdre Harris.

Former Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) captain Rachelle Bright served in that role for the past three seasons, says new club captain Max Jones.

In the last year she has been a junior surf coach, new lifeguard instructor, and helped organise training courses. Regionally she has been a lesson designer, patrol auditor, instructor and examiner, was chair of the area lifesaving committee, and contributed to peer support.

'For the past 10 years Rachelle has held a range of roles within the club. Rachelle has dedicated herself to the club, implemented new initiatives, and has been a positive influence on all members throughout the entire season,” says Max.

The Sports Team of the Year went to Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service's U16 Men's Relay Team, made up of Zachary Reeder, Daniel Shanahan, Matthew Wagstaff and Tarquin Magner.

The team took out three gold medals and a silver at TSB Surf Lifesaving Nationals back in March this year.

Emerging Official of the Year went to Caitlin Harris of Papamoa SLSC, who was an event marshal for local, regional and national events, as well as a timer, finish judge and recorder. She also took part in fundraising, lifeguarding and event guarding, and is an athlete.

"Caitlin is an emerging leader for our club. She shares her knowledge as an experienced lifeguard, helping encourage and motivate our rookies,” says Papamoa SLSC chair Angela Hayden.

The Coromandel Innovation of the Year award was won by the Wahine on Water project, for a series of training days and networking to develop more female IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) crew instructors and mentors, with the end goal of encouraging more female IRB crew trainees.

The project was the brainchild of lifeguards Phoebe Havill of Onemana SLSC; Julia Conway of Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service; Philip Pirie of Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service, and Paul Hardy of Piha SLSC, and so far has led to two successful training days, involving 60 trainees, with a third planned for early August.

The Coromandel Rescue of the Year was awarded to Whangamata SLSC lifeguards Phoebe Havill, Callum Fulton, Andrew Earl-Peacock and Andrew Hodgson, for the tricky technical rescue of three family members who got stuck on an offshore island while kayaking.

The Bay of Plenty Rescue of the Year was awarded to Papamoa SLSC lifeguards Liam Porter, Andrew Callaway, Ariana Moffat, Michelle Dykes, Lynda Hitchfield, Jack Hitchfield, Billy Bury, Alex Padfield, Liam Moffat and Leon Castle, for rescuing and giving vital first aid care to a man who had suffered a serious spinal injury in the water.

The supreme award in both the Coromandel & Bay of Plenty Areas is the Zespri Club of the Year Award.

This year the award was won by Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service in the BOP Area and by Waihi Beach Lifeguard Service in the Coromandel Area.

Zespri have been associated with this award for the last three years, with Zespri's Head of Communications and External Relations Michael Fox saying that the company's partnership with Surf Live Saving New Zealand recognised the critical role lifeguards played in keeping local communities safe on our beaches.

'We're really proud to be associated with Surf Lifesaving here in the Eastern region as we know the beach is a place where we all come together as a community

'These awards recognise the outstanding work that all of our lifeguards do across the country and we thank not only the award winners, but all of the volunteers, guards and clubs for all that they do to keep us safe,” Michael says.

Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence 2019

Emerging Coach of the Year Cameron Witney

Coach of the Year John Bryant

Emerging Official of the Year Caitlin Harris

Official of the Year Joanne Miller

Sports Team of the Year Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service U16 Mens Relay Team (Zachary Reeder, Daniel Shanahan, Matthew Wagstaff, Tarquin Magner)

Sportsperson of the Year U14 Male Mitchell Bark Riki

Sportsperson of the Year U14 Female Lucinda Bartlett

Sportsperson of the Year U16 Male Daniel Shanahan

Sportsperson of the Year U16 Female Molly Shivnan

Sportsperson of the Year U19 Male Lochlainn O'Connor

Sportsperson of the Year U19 Female Alicia Wilson

Sportsperson of the Year Open Male Hamish Miller

Sportsperson of the Year Open Female Natalie Peat

Sportsperson of the Year Masters Male Ian Glover

Sportsperson of the Year Masters Female Naomi Davoren

International Sports Performance of the Year Individual Lochlainn O'Connor

International Team Sports Performance of the Year U19 Mens Board Rescue Team

(Lochlainn O'Connor & Declan Dempster)

Beach Education Instructor of the Year Ariana Moffatt

Rookie Lifeguard of the Year Keaton White

Bay of Plenty Awards

Emerging U19 Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year Lukas Harris

Pacific Medicare Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year Haven Bellamy

Regional Lifeguard of the Year Julia Conway

Patrol Captain of the Year Andrew McDowell

Instructor of the Year Ryan Hohneck

Examiner of the Year Danielle Shepherd

Volunteer of the Year Andrew McDowell

Innovation of the Year Online Learning Tool Box, Vivien Conway

Rescue of the Year Papamoa SLSC *

* For a rescue on 12 February 2019, by Liam Porter, Andrew Callaway, Ariana Moffat, Michelle Dykes, Lynda Hitchfield, Jack Hitchfield, Billy Bury, Alex Padfield, Liam Moffat and Leon Castle.

Pacific Medicare Patrol Club of the Year Papamoa SLSC

Zespri Overall Club of the Year Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Coromandel Awards

Emerging U19 Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year Bree McCowatt

Pacific Medicare Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year James Lloyd

Regional Lifeguard of the Year Lucy Scown

Patrol Captain of the Year Georgia Eldridge

Instructor of the Year Hamish Clayton

Examiner of the Year James Lloyd

Volunteer of the Year Rachelle Bright

Innovation of the Year Wahine on Water *

* A project to encourage more female lifeguards to train as IRB crew (Inflatable Rescue Boats).

Rescue of the Year Whangamata SLSC *

* For a rescue on 20 November 2018, by Phoebe Havill, Callum Fulton, Andrew Earl-Peacock and Andrew Hodgson.

Pacific Medicare Patrol Club of the Year Whangamata SLSC

Zespri Overall Club of the Year Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services

Eastern Region Service Awards

Eastern Region Service Award Alicia Upjohn

Eastern Region Service Award Haven Bellamy

Eastern Region Service Award Margaret Williams

Eastern Region Distinguished Service Award Paul Treanor

Eastern Region Distinguished Service Award Denise Bracken

Eastern Region Distinguished Service Award Matthew Williams

Eastern Life Membership Award Boyd Harris