Courageous five

BY DAVID TAURANGA

Five heroic Mangere teenagers who rescued a bus driver being attacked by a passenger have been honoured at a special ceremony.

Daniel Ah Hong, Sione Mesui, Viliami Huapango and Christopher Tu’uta, plus Selwyn Fale who was unable to attend, were hailed as heroes by Manukau mayor Len Brown and Mangere Labour MP Su’a William Sio.

They each received a special certificate of community appreciation that recognises their selfless and courageous actions in defending Mangere bus driver Ian Magee.

Christopher Tu’uta says the boys would do it again in a heartbeat if they ever found themselves in a similar situation.

"We all know the driver really well. We saw a good mate getting cracked and jumped in to help him," the 14-year-old says.

"I think being recognised is an awesome experience and we’re all feeling pretty special at the moment."

In August, during a morning run into Auckland, a male passenger boarded 56-year-old Mr Magee’s bus and soon after began abusing a group of schoolchildren he felt were being too noisy.

The driver asked the passenger to leave the children alone but when it looked as if the man was about to hit one of the kids Mr Magee stopped the bus and told the man to get off.

Instead, the angry stranger dragged Mr Magee out of the bus and on to the street where he viciously attacked him and punched him about eight times in the face.

The five St Paul’s College students raced off the bus and pushed Mr Magee’s attacker away while also protecting him from more punches.

Mr Magee thinks what the boys did was not only amazing but also showed the strength of character of each of the teenagers.

"These boys showed great self-control by not going overboard – they did just enough to protect me," he says.

"I really want to thank these boys. They not only saved me but also the younger students who were on the bus at the time."

Mr Sio is proud of the five teenagers and says their actions is a reflection of how they were brought up by their parents.

The young men followed their consciences and did not ignore a situation where someone was in danger and desperately needed help, he says.

"They bravely stepped forward to protect and save the life of a fellow human being with little regard for their own safety.

"Their behaviour reflects the depth of character they have, I’m proud of these young men and the people of Mangere are proud of them."

- © Fairfax NZ News