This series deals with themes of loss of life, grief, trauma, violence, and mental health. The content may not be suitable for younger listeners.

Kia ora, I'm Mitchell Alexander.

And I'm Alex Mason. Welcome to Season Two of Unclassified, a series where we bring you firsthand tales about extraordinary moments in the lives of members of the New Zealand Defence Force. Today, we're joined by Chief Petty Officer Leon Reiley, to talk about his experience of leading a crew through a hair raising rescue at sea in the midst of a tropical cyclone.

I already had people on board that I was looking after. So I feel like the rescue really started when I left, because I already had the people and I put them into that environment. So I was like, I'm really rescuing my crew you know, trying to get ourselves back. I think going to grab him, and then coming back and still felt like the whole thing was a pretty hairy moment.

Chief Petty Officer Leon Riley as a seaman combat specialist, who hails from Rotorua, in 2006. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Navy, and in 2014, he was named Sailor of the year, Leon took a three year break from life at sea, but he was enticed back to the Navy ranks and 2021 after receiving a phone call, asking if he would like to come back.

In February 2023, as Cyclone Gabrielle bore down on the North Island of New Zealand. The naval frigate HMNZS Te Mana was called on to help with a search and rescue mission east of Great Barrier Island, a solo yachtsman had been unable to beach his boat after the mooring snapped, the police had tried to reach him, but the sea was too rough for the vessel. The conditions were also too wild for the Northland rescue helicopter to use the rescue wench. So it was up to the Navy for personnel in a rigid hull inflatable boat known as a RHIB braved the treacherous conditions with Leon at the helm. Thanks for joining us today. Leon. Can you talk us through what happened when you got the call up to head out into the elements and try and rescue this boatie? How did that moment play out?

Pretty much what happened was for all at work on ship, the working day had finished, we all left to go home to our families, then we got a call up to come back to the ship. And then say, we will have to back the ship and then headed off to sea to go try to find where the vessel was.

What was going through your mind at that stage, when you heard what you were being asked to do?

For myself as just like we're going to go potentially help someone. So I think everyone gets on board and like, Okay, let's go do this sort of thing gets a bit of a adrenaline pumping for everyone. So, pretty much just headed up overnight, and try to find out where he was. And then the next morning, we started seeing the mast of the vessel come up over the horizon. So then, the captain of the ship, our commanding officer, caught up the Northland rescue helicopter gave the coordinates of where the vessel was, then at this point, I was up on the bridge watching because as coxswains of the RHIBs, we know that in those sort of conditions, the boat most likely won't get launched. So we went for watch out of a bridge. And then whilst we're up, the captain was on the phone to the helicopter when they came out. And then they're talking. And then they said they couldn't conduct a rescue. So then they asked if we could launch our RHIB. At that point, the captain looked at me. And then pretty much gave me the eye contact of like are you going to say yes sort of thing. So I was just like, oh, gave him the nod. And yeah, give it a go sort of thing. But so then from there, pretty much all hands on, made the pipes, our main broadcast, and we all got down in the boat and headed off.

When the captain gave you that nod, what was going through your head?

I don't know, just the task at hand. Not to sound cocky or anything but like it was a bit of like, whoa, like these conditions are rough. I'm going to be doing that sort of thing like so it's just that and then the potential of saving someone as well as like, gives you more drive to do it. It's sort of my mentality on it.

And when you got out on the RHIB, could you just sort of explain who was with you at the time and what part each and every one of you played?

On a frigate, HMNZS Te Mana, where the RHIBs are located on the ship, it's quite high up from the ocean. But with the waves as big as they were, when we hopped up into the cradle, e and my crew were getting hit by the waves coming over the front of the ship. So it's like you're standing there, not even in the water yet, and you're feeling the water go right into your face. And you're like, Okay, great. Like, we're alreay soaked. So pretty much we got in there, it was myself, one of the Able Rates, same branch as myself, Seaman Combat Specialist, and then we also had two divers in the boat with us as well. The reason we had the divers in there was mainly to actually hop into the water, they needed to get across that vessel and get in the water and help the person out.

You've mentioned that these were some rough conditions. Can you describe how big the waves were? What are we talking about?

So I think it was probably roughly three to four metre of significant swell, but also sort of hard to describe like, for myself, I thought it was like a washing machine. Like it was just waves were coming from all directions, which is the seas always unpredictable but to see barrels of waves in the middle of the ocean. I've never seen that before. So that was pretty interesting.

How big was the RHIB that you're in?

7.2 metres? I think

So what does it feel like physically to be in a boat that size in a swell that size and being tossed around like that?

So pretty much when when So pretty much when when I left the ship, we got craned down. And then because I have had some sort of rough weather and stuff in my time and stuff like that. So when I did leave the ship, I was like, okay, I can deal with this. And then once the ship went away, and then I had no shelter from the ship, then that's when I was like, Well, okay, now this is serious. This was the wind conditions as well. So I think it was like 40 to 60 knot winds. So to see spray coming off the top of the waves, was pretty much like you couldn't breathe, like you're just trying to hide away, and then trying to drive and make your way there. But for the size of the waves, it was like driving through, like when you're driving through the troughs in between the waves, because I had to, to find spots where I could get up over that section of waves rolling through, there was times where I couldn't see the ship. So then I was using the helicopter to sort of guide me and try to find my navigate my way through mountains of water, both sides, and then just try to make my way through.

This is the yacht that you're unable to see?

And the ship, yeah Te Mana.

Oh, my goodness. And that's a big vessel.

Yeah, that's it. So it was like, You're just all you see is walls of water. And then just sea spray, I think they just are just using the helicopter to because I knew that they will hover around the yacht. So then I just made my way trying to navigate through the waves and over the troughs and through to get as close as I could really.

Was that scary? Did you ever feel any hesitation at any point?

I think in the moment, you're just trying to do what you can do. So I knew that I had my crew in the boat as well. So I think we're having that responsibility in the boat. Because as a driver, you're responsible for the lives as well. So then it puts a bit of pressure. But I think I sort of used it as drive to I needed make sure we could all get back safely base. So we just made our way over to the yacht. head

Had you trained in these sorts of conditions to prepare you for a scenario like this?

No, no. But I have had lots of experiences. For my trade, and navy. That's our job is to drive the RHIBs as well, amongst other things as well. But so is coming up through the ranks. I've always been in the boat driving different ones in just nighttime, or whatever. I think it's just the experiences that you have gives you the knowledge and then the best thing to do is pass that on. So one of my young ones that was in the vessel with me or in the RHIB, the ASCS, she was actually going to be endorsed for the ship. So she had a ticket to drive. But I needed to have her endorsed how to come alongside the ship and stuff to that specific platform. So that was good that she was actually in the boat. So then she gets that experience. So her career continuing forward. She gets to go oh, okay, I've been in this sort of situation and has that feel and then I won't be as harsh on her.

Because at that stage were you past your days as a Coxwain and you were just stepping into that role because she hadn't yet been endorsed?

Yes pretty much so that's the whole training side of it, is leading hands and able rates usually drive the RHIBs, and pettyofficers would be facilitating the hoisting and lowering so sending it away. But then since they're still under sort of training to get endorsement, me or one of their other peers had to step in and drive the RHIB.

Going back to that moment, your fellow crew back on Te Mana were no doubt very anxious as they watched you guys in the RHIB. Have you heard what it was like for them at that time?

A lot of stories have been said when I walked through the ship, just like asking how, what was it like, like, you know, like, different people. But far that would have been cool, then some people were like, there would have been scary. And then so there's a lot of different way people view it. So a few of them, were saying that they're watching on the top light, which is a camera. And then because inside because because of the rough conditions, people weren't allowed up on upper decks. So they had to stay inside the ship. But they're looking on the camera and seeing the RHIB driving through and they're going far, and then we just wouldn't see for like a minute or so. And they're like, ah, where is he? And then you see the RHIB pop back up. And then they say ah OK there they are. Also as well, on the bridge at the time, our CO, and everyone was up on there, and one of the officers that was up there told me what it was like, because the captain told her, You want to keep eyes on that RHIB. Don't lose sight of it. She was freaking out a little bit because she wouldn't see the RHIB for a bit. And it's just like 'Where are they?' then 'Oh there they are". Yeah she said that pretty much she could hear a pin drop in a bridge like with everyone just in the zone.

Going back to I guess your perspective, being in the thick of it. How long did it take you to battle through to the boatie? And how was he when you eventually got there?

For me, I had no sense of time. Like it was just get to him, get us back. So once we got to the yacht, I wasn't in a position where I wanted to be the swell was coming from, say in front of the yacht. And then I want it to be behind the yacht in the waves. But just the way that the ocean was, I ended up being in front of it. So then I was facing the swells coming through. But then slowly trying to just navigate over them and drift back closer to the yacht. At that stage. I'm not facing him, so I can't see him. And then my crew, obviously we were watching. And then they started yelling at us "He's in the water. He's underwater." Yeah, Roger that, keep eyes, keep eyes on him, because I was just trying to make sure I'm watching these waves roll through. And then pretty much went to one of the divers, one of the senior divers that was on there, I was like "Oh bro", because obviously he's my friend. So I was like "bro you might have to get in, jump in and go swim over and grab him and pull him away from the yacht. And then I'll come in and grab you, just because if I was going to get close, then one of the waves could just pick me up and throw me onto the yacht. He was good to go, without hesitation. He pretty much just started getting in. It's funny. It's like yeah, so get his fins and goggles on ready to go. But then yeah the ocean being the ocean, unpredictable, just picked me up pretty much and just pushed or forced me into going down towards where he was. So when I saw that happening, so I was just like, told my crew like "Standby, grab him, pick him up." And they were just going and pretty much gonna go over to him. And then they just grabbed him out, started ripping him out, pulling them out, because the wave that was pushing me, I was just there to try to get over that. So then I turned to the right and then put my throttle full on to try and get up over the wave. And whilst they're trying to rip him in, and then you just up over the wave, airborne a bit, but yeah so I don't think the ride might have been that great him, but it was certainly pretty crazy.

Did you have any chance to register in that moment relief at getting him on board?

Nah, because for me is, I already had people on board that I was and looking after. So I feel like the rescue really started when I left. Because I already had the people and I put them into that environment. So I was like, I'm really rescuing my crew or like, you know, trying to get ourselves back. But I think going and grabbing him and then coming back it still felt like the whole thing was a pretty hairy moment.

I imagined the return back to Te Mana was just as treacherous by the sounds of it?

It was pretty much exactly the same. Trying to make our way back a few ways. There's like full throttle, trying to get up over and then just going backwards with the wave. So it's like you can probably picture how fast they're rolling through. And now try to go full-tit, go up and trying to get out, over and going backwards, I was like, wow, like, this is crazy. And then getting over it, because then there's such strong wind, you don't want to get airborne and in the wind picks up and flips you. So pretty much I was doing that trying to get back, we nearly flipped over about three times from memory, like just from going up and over and then getting airborne, but then another wave would hit me from the side. And then I'd feel the boat start to flip. So then I'll turn in and ride the wave down. That was going to have the way so it was it was real weird sort of situation. Then I think the ship was trying to radio me on comms and because I couldn't hear it with everything that was going on. I was just like, "update" because I was probably freaking out or whatever. I just grabbed the comms and I was like, "Yeah, I need shelter." And that was it. No proper comms, procedures or anything like that. I just told him I need shelter from the winds. Because that's what the most dangerous part when I was going over the waves as the winds gonna pick me up. So then they position edthemselves where I could get closer.

It's clear that you felt such a responsibility for the other people on the RHIB with you, your crew and the man that you rescued. Had you been in a situation like that before, where I guess you felt like you had people's lives in your hands?

No, I can't say I have, pretty much first time but

A pretty intense experience.

Yeah.

How did it feel once you guys got back on deck on Te Mana? pretty

Pretty much when when I felt like relief was once the cranes while hooked up into the boat. And then because when I was coming in to make my approach to the ship, it was strange because of the sea was obviously bouncing off the ship. And then creating like these pyramids of water, by you know, when you drop a rock into water, and then the little thing comes up, it was pretty much like that, but on a big scale in the middle. So we are trying to make my approach as you do it, me and the PO, which would have been either or me or him driving.

That's the other Petty officer?

Yes, he he put his hand up like he puts his hand up to wave me in when it's safe to come alongside. But as a driver, you could sort of see when it is safe to go through, as I just called myself and pretty much when I saw was safe for the good. And it was good that the divers that were on board, you want to do as well, the bowman duties of the boat. So what's the ASCS would have been doing. But the divers had a sense of knowledge as well into that sort of unit area. So they just grabbed those parts and started connecting the boat on and stuff like that. And once we got hooked on, instead of getting hoisted up, I was like cool, even though we're still swinging around and everything like that. I was just like, we've got something attached. And then yes, started going up. They slewered it in, so they bring the crane in. And then the ship, the boats sort of like real lean, because the wind and the swell, you'll still swing out. So her like sort of standing on a 45 and the boat against a ship like waiting to go up. It was all good.

I understand that the time your partner was five months pregnant with your first child. Did they give you pause at the time? Or were you just in full operational mode?

Yeah, so was that I was more after effect. Because in a moment, I think I was just in the zone just to get the task done that we needed to do. And it wasn't until later on like sitting around with the crew and stuff on the ship. And then like, I think thoughts just start going through your mind. Then obviously, that sort of came into my mind and stuff and I was like, Alright, I didn't even like we just did it. Like because there wasn't even in my mind. And then so I think that sort of stuff sort of make sure but like oh, like should I be doing it sort of stuff. But I just think if you're going to go try to help someone, you're doing it for a cause.

Well, Leon, thank you very much for your time today and sharing that with us. We're just going in on one final reflection. All four of you from Te Mana who were on the RHIB were later recognised by the New Zealand Defence Force for your bravery and your skill that day. Leon you were awarded the Defence Meritorious Service Medal. How did that make you feel? And how does that still make you feel having had that recognition?

I'm happy to be honest, like for myself, I I really don't like recognition. I just like to fly under the radar sort of thing. But I do like to see other people get I think that's what I like for myself as like if other people are getting because that's one thing I said to my command. When I was on the I said I hope that my crew gets something out of this. Some sort of recognition, just because I'm happy that they got it. I get more satisfaction out of people achieving everything so being recognised makes me feel better.

This podcast is a production of the New Zealand Defence Force were your hosts Mitchell Alexander and Alex Mason. We'd like to thank our guests for sharing their stories. If you need to talk to someone, you'll find the details for support services in the show notes. We welcome your feedback on this podcast. contact us via email podcast@nzdf.mil.nz. Haere ra.