A young Queenstown police officer held a man's stomach together following an alleged stabbing in the resort last month, helping provide life-saving first aid.
On August 18, Constable Lucy Jonas, who graduated from Police College about six months ago, was working with fellow rookie Max Freer, who had about two months' experience, and experienced officer Sergeant Tracy Haggart, when they were alerted to a ''serious assault, potential stabbing'' on the corner of Camp and Beach Sts at 2.27am.
Detective Senior Sergeant Malcolm Inglis said, ''They found a bit of carnage, obviously.''
A man in his late 20s with critical injuries and lying in the middle of the street.
''One person with serious stab wounds ... intestines hanging out and stuff.
''He was pretty badly injured.''
Const Jonas stepped in immediately and ''did a fantastic job rendering first aid'' to the man, part of a group from Wellington on the first day of a week-long ski trip.
''Their first priority is ... saving life ... rendering assistance to the victim, but also keeping control of the situation as best they could.''
Nearby security staff also swung into action, helping ''calm things down'' and stop the fracas which involved about 15 people.
Remarkably, an intensive care paramedic team was already at Lakes District Hospital when the incident occurred.
Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter Service chief pilot Graeme Gale, of Taieri, had flown in with the highly skilled crew for an unrelated job and was refuelling when a call came in for an urgent transfer to Dunedin for the first victim.
''By the time they brought the patient out from the centre of Queenstown to the helicopter, the crew was all there waiting to receive that patient,'' he said.
''You couldn't speed that job up if you tried.
''That was as slick as what you could ever wish to get it.''
Then emergency services were alerted to a second victim, also in his late 20s, ''at home and bleeding''.
Det Snr Sgt Inglis said he was also allegedly involved in the confrontation but had caught a taxi to a property on St Georges Ave, Queenstown Hill.
''He didn't know he'd been stabbed, not till the taxi driver said, 'You're bleeding everywhere'.''
He informed a friend who called the police.
Acting Sergeant Dan Andrew, working with Constables Grace Allan and Regan Smith, found him with ''serious stab wounds'' and provided first aid until the ambulance arrived.
Mr Gale had already tasked another helicopter to Queenstown from Dunedin, so the second victim waited less than 30 minutes before being transferred.
Det Snr Sgt Inglis said, ''This is where our rescue helicopter is such a great thing ... they had them in Dunedin and in surgery within hours.''
The second victim was making good progress, while the first was home but had a ''slow road to recovery''.
He was proud of all staff involved in the incident, even though it was just part of their job, he said.
''It's what you put on a blue uniform for, really.
''That's the thing about policing, you don't know what's going to happen day-to-day.
''I'm always proud when staff do good things and, 99% of the time, they're doing good things ... but most of it goes unnoticed.''
Jack James Harrington (20), of Nelson, has been charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
and is expected to appear in the Queenstown District Court next month.
