A Massey University PhD candidate has been recognised for saving a woman from a blazing house during a ceremony at Government House last month.
Chris Muller was presented with a Royal Humane Society of New Zealand silver medal for bravery for his heroic actions in September 2014.
The volunteer firefighter was off-duty when he decided to investigate a house fire across the road from his home in Havelock North. Noting the owner of the house was unaccounted for, he decided to act, rather than wait for the firefighters to arrive.
The award citation emphasises the bravery of Mr Muller’s actions. “The decisive actions of Mr Muller, undertaken with little regard for his own safety, directly contributed to the saving of another person’s life.”
Mr Muller’s PhD focuses on the population dynamics and foraging ecology of endangered yellow-eyed penguins at the Auckland Islands, New Zealands’ sub-antarctic islands.
His research involves undertaking the first complete population count of yellow-eyed penguins at this species strong-hold, understanding their foraging ecology and diet, and investigating possible tourism disturbance effects.