Emotions flood back as bravery in June storm honoured

NAOMI Roskell fought back tears yesterday as she recalled her experience in the storms that lashed the Hunter in June 2007.The Eleebana woman's selfless courage on June 8 was recognised when Northern Region Police commander Assistant Commissioner Lee Shearer handed out commendations for bravery.When she saw people trapped by rising water on the roof of their cars in New Lambton, Ms Roskell grabbed a rope from her car, attached it to a post and tied it around her waist and waded into the torrent.Police said she dragged three people to safety and grabbed an elderly man who was hanging onto the bull-bar of his car.Ms Roskell told Ms Shearer she had promised herself she would not cry as she accepted her award yesterday at Newcastle police station.But the emotions came rushing back when she remembered the events of the storm. Sergeant John King and Senior Constables Ray Noffke, Robert Carey, Peter Hawke and Darren Fleming and members of the public Gary Pearce, Steven Bennett, Mark Tucker, Matthew Hobson, Jasmine Johnson and Shaun Douglas received commendations for their roles in rescuing people at the height of the storm's fury on June 8.The crews of the harbour tugs Wickham and Watagan said they battled swells up to 20 metres and 50-knot wind to help three coal ships in distress off the coast after the storm swept the Port of Newcastle.The bulk carrier Pasha Bulker had grounded on Nobbys Beach and the carriers Cemtex Pioneer, Betis and Sea Confidence were struggling to shift away from the coast."The swells were the size of four-storey buildings and they were coming through every eight seconds," Wickham tug master Aaron Henshaw said yesterday.Svitzer Towage employees Paul Devereux, Ian Turton, Steve Parker, George Sewell, John Partridge, Les Handicott, Jerard Inkston, Tom Wiley and Mr Henshaw, who have a combined seafaring experience of about 200 years, received commendations from Ms Shearer for their efforts.