TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 PAGE 2 CALL FOR PAGE 10 TEAMWORK SNAKE BITE TO KEEP SURVIVOR: COVID OUT ‘HE PUT A TONNE OF POISON IN ME’ HORSE DEATHS MAR BEACH RACES PAGE 5 ‘AN ABSOLUTE Found after 2½ days trapped in crashed car MIRACLE’ by Murray Robertson “SOMETHING shiny” down a bank on the side of State Highway 2 just north of Otoko Hill led the family of a missing Bay of Plenty man to him on Sunday after he lay trapped and injured in his crashed car for two-and-a-half days. Gregg Shaw, 67, was reported missing on Christmas Day somewhere between his home at Papamoa and Gisborne. Mr Shaw left the home he shares with younger brother Michael on Christmas morning, intending to have lunch with family in Gisborne. They raised the alarm when he failed to arrive. Police made an appeal for information on social media and his family set off to look for him. They paid for a helicopter to search through the Waioeka Gorge but to no avail. Mr Shaw was eventually found in his crashed car at around 4pm on Sunday afternoon at a spot between Cemetery Road and Rakauroa Road, the Matawai side of Otoko Hill. “His car had gone off the road and down a five-metre steep bank into a drain, landing on its wheels, but firmly wedged against the sides of the drain,” said Te Karaka deputy chief fire officer Murray Burgess. “He was trapped in the car because he couldn’t open the doors. The windscreen had broken but he was too sore to break through it to get out.” Mr Shaw put a small torch on top of his car at night in the hope that someone would see it. No one did. Mr Burgess said the family searched the highway from the Opotiki end of the gorge towards Gisborne for two days. Mr Shaw’s niece Nicola Dunn and her partner found him. “I was looking out of the window of our Ford Ranger 4x4 when I happened to see something shiny down a bank just off the road,” said Ms Dunn. “I told my partner we should stop and I RESCUE OPERATION: Emergency service workers prepare to stretcher missing man Gregg Shaw (inset) out of his rushed down the bank. car, which went off State Highway 2 and into a deep ditch, where it became wedged. The 67-year-old survived two- and-a-half days trapped in his car after crashing while on the way to Gisborne from Papamoa on Christmas Day. He was found by family members. Pictures supplied CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 37092-01 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Television ...........18 Racing ...............23 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Kids page ..........20 Sport ............ 24-28 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .... 6-10, 19 World............ 13-16 Classifieds ... 21-22 Weather .............27 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Tuesday, December 29, 2020 ‘Thank bloody God’: reply from drain FROM PAGE 1 were “awful”. Helicopter from Hawke’s Bay responded stable condition. “It never seems a very long time when to the emergency. Police thanked the Bay of Plenty “I could tell it was Gregg’s car when I it’s someone else, but 24 hours when your “It was fortunate the car landed on its and Gisborne communities for the saw the number plate and I called out to brother is missing, in a car somewhere, wheels,” Mr Burgess said. aroha and kind thoughts shared on the him. possibly sinking or upside down . I was “There was water in the drain and if original Facebook post about the man’s “He replied: ‘Thank bloody God.’ He very worried. it had flipped on to its roof the outcome disappearance. was in good spirits and still had a sense “On the first day I was thinking ‘where could have been very different. “We want to thank all those who of humour. Hearing his voice was just the hell is he?’ He hadn’t been found. “It made our job of getting Mr Shaw out assisted with our inquiries and got in incredible. I started having these ‘what the hell’ of the car a lot easier. touch with information during the search “We were just so happy. It was a scenarios play out in my head. “We cut the roof off and once the for the man.” rollercoaster of emotions. It’s an absolute “I was still expecting that he’d be found paramedics had stabilised him, he was Another of Mr Shaw’s brothers, David, miracle,” she said. but that he’d be dead.” put on to a rescue stretcher and lifted said the family were grateful for the Deputy CFO Burgess said Mr Gregg Mr Shaw was conscious when found. with ropes up on to the road and into the efforts of police and other emergency told them he never gave up hope. Deputy CFO Burgess said he had water waiting rescue chopper.” services who helped. “He said he always believed he would in the car with him but no accessible food. Mr Shaw was flown to Gisborne “I know now what people go through be found eventually and everyone was “The Christmas treats he had with him, Hospital for treatment of a range of when a loved one goes missing. The police just so relieved that turned out to be the including a pavlova, were all in the boot, “moderate” injuries. have been amazing, really good.” case,” Mr Burgess said. which he couldn’t get at.” “He had some abrasions, and injuries to David said he’d like all cars to His brother Michael told The New Firefighters from Te Karaka, Matawai his chest, one of his shoulders and some have a GPS device such as an EPIRB Zealand Herald that the first 24 hours and Gisborne, St John Ambulance, back pain.” (Emergency Position Indicating Radio after hearing his brother was missing police and the Lowe Corporation Rescue He was reported this morning to be in a Beacon), that activates in a crash. BUYING IN: Julianne Madden places her bet with Sue McCosh at the beach races’ on-course equaliser facility. AND THEY’RE OFF AND RACING: Riders hit the beach for the Farmers BORN TO RIDE: Oldest racer of the day, Air Ltd Shepherds Race non-thoroughbreds S&D Smith Cup. Dinah Atkins (85), pictured right with her Pictures by Paul Rickard horse Ginger resting in between races. A grey day for beach races Two horses euthanised at annual event by Jack Marshall down with rain and they come out. “I’ve tried to make it a family affair, no grog, A GREY cloud hung over the Tolaga Bay Beach it’s safe. Picnic Races, with two horses put down after “The whole day is based on the tide, and a suffering injuries yesterday. public holiday if I can get it. “We’ve never had any incidents over the past “It’s a dead low-tide at half-past 12 and that’s 20 years, but it is an accident that can happen at when our thoroughbred races are held, but the any event,” said committee spokeswoman Nicki rest of the races are shepherding horses and Jefferd. whoever is keen.” “It was sad for the two horses, their owners One soul who is keener than the rest is racer KICKING UP SAND: Trudy Arnold and Wheels, Richard Meihana and Teeps, Kaylee and riders. Dinah Atkins. Tidy and Blu Boi are pictured metres before the finish line in the East Coast Farm “The riders were checked out for medical “I’ve been riding since I was a kid, now I’m 85,” Vets Handicap non-thoroughbreds race. injuries but they were OK which was a relief. she said. “It has really affected us because we’re all Dinah had her name down to ride only four of Bay by horseback. the 35 years of my attendance. horse people, we love our horses.” the seven races because, she said, “you have to Mrs Jefferd said they had a team of highly- “The overarching concern in these situations The animals were buried yesterday evening at give the horses a rest”. trained stewards, volunteers, horse wranglers is that any animal suffering must be minimised, a local farm, where the owners, riders and some “I’m riding my horse Ginger now, who I’ve had and vets on board at the races, but sometimes and after assessment of the animals and members of the race committee held a small for two years.” these things happened. discussion with the owners, both horses were service. She had her last horse for 30 years before she “We have full procedures in place for our shot.” Before the horse deaths, The Gisborne Herald had to put him down and bury him. volunteers and people on the day. We had two Mr Jackman said these sort of incidents spoke with one of the organisers, Chris Ovenden, “I enjoy it, I’ve been riding all my life. All my vets on the day with one on call and they were happen occasionally on any farms with horses who was pleased with the turnout. kids ride, all my mokos ride.” the ones who make the call”. and euthanising them promptly is standard He said no matter what the weather, people “She’s a cowgirl from way back,” a passing Attending vet Bob Jackman said one horse practice. cannot help but come to the races. punter said as he hugged her.