Courageous Acts Honoured In Bravery Awards

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated the ten people honoured today in the 2025 New Zealand Bravery Awards.

This year, there are two recipients of the New Zealand Bravery Decoration and a further eight people receive the New Zealand Bravery Medal.

“None of us know how we will react when a life is in danger but in these ten cases, a brave person has disregarded their own safety to help a fellow human.

“In every single case, their actions have prevented further harm – and in many, lives have been saved only because they stepped in.

“I would like to particularly make mention of the two people who received the New Zealand Bravery Decoration. This is awarded only for exceptional acts of bravery.

“This year, Mr Junior Faamalosi (Losi) Isaako is recognised for his exceptional bravery after witnessing a man knifed and punched repeatedly outside his Flaxmere property in June. Mr Isaako ran into the knife attack, disarmed one of the attackers and rescued the wounded victim. This extraordinary act of bravery saved the victim’s life.

“The other recipient of the New Zealand Bravery Decoration was then a 12-year old boy, who we will only call Young Person N. His story is terrifying and his bravery is astonishing.

“The boy was at home with his father on a September afternoon last year when a neighbour entered the home and started to viciously attack his father. What followed was two hours of abuse for the father sometimes involving a knife and rendering the man unconscious. Throughout this ordeal, the boy fought to minimise the attacks on his father, interceded with answers to questions his father was incapable of answering, and had the forethought to act to protect his sister who was due to arrive at the house. Despite being hurt himself in the ordeal, the boy’s actions resulted in Police being called and his father surviving critical injuries.

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“While acknowledging all recipients of Awards today, I would also like to especially acknowledge our Police. Five of the eight people receiving a Bravery Medal were on or off duty police officers. They do us proud.

“I would also like to acknowledge the loved ones of Jonathan Young, who are grappling with the biggest sacrifice of all – the loss of his life in his brave act of saving another.

“Every day, ordinary New Zealanders face danger – and some days they are lucky enough to have someone close enough, and brave enough, to help them out.

“The recipients of the New Zealand Bravery Decoration, Losi Isaako and Young Person N, as well as the recipients of the New Zealand Bravery Medal, are the people we want close,” says Christopher Luxon.

The eight recipients of the New Zealand Bravery Medal are:

Sergeant Richard Mervyn Bracey of Auckland

Ms Susan Rebecca Burke of Queensland Australia

Mr Hayden Paul Cornwell of Hamilton

Constable Friederike Faber of Auckland

Sergeant Harshad Ashok Ghodke of Havelock North

Detective Sergeant Heath Courtenay Jones of Havelock North Constable Alexander James Christian Henry Kerr of Hamilton

Mr Jonathan Jordan Young (posthumous) of NSW Australia

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