ROYAL Humane Society Awards were presented to the constable and paramedic who performed life-saving resuscitation on swimmer John Martin last October. Sadly, the 71-year-old died a day later, but the pair gave his wife and daughter the chance to say goodbye before he passed away in hospital.

Norma Martin, who was married to Mr Martin for 23 years, said both truly deserved the recognition for their efforts in attempting to save her husband’s life.

‘I think it was well deserved and I’m really grateful for what they did – albeit he didn’t survive, at least they gave him a chance. He was a very well respected man,’ she said.

Mr Martin was an avid swimmer and that morning the sea at Chouet was calm. But the finance worker, who had Parkinson’s disease, got into difficulty and was found face down in the water 20 metres from shore.

His daughter, 31-year-old Melissa Martin, said that Constable Mark Noyon and St John Ambulance and Rescue Service paramedic Lorna Harborow had gone beyond the call of duty in their efforts to save her father.

‘A lot of people wouldn’t have done what they did. Although he did die, we had the chance to speak to him and say goodbye, which we would not have had the chance to do if they had not got him out of the water,’ she said.

PC Noyon, 28, who has been a policeman for two years, said that it had been a shock when he found out about the award.

”The resuscitation’ was just something that needed to be done really – I have known the family since I was little so it’s nice to see Mrs Martin and Melissa,’ he said.

‘I didn’t think it was that far out to go and get him – it felt like the right thing to do.’

Miss Harborow, 29, who has been a paramedic for four years, said that what she did on that day was part of her job.

‘I was a bit surprised really, especially under the circumstances. It wasn’t just me, there were other people involved, so I share this award with them. It’s hard to get an award like this when it wasn’t a happy ending,’ she said.

Lt Governor Sir Fabian Malbon, who presented the awards at Government House last night, said it was a pleasure to see such admirable people in the emergency services.

‘It shows a lot of esteem in our emergency services to have Mrs Martin and her daughter here tonight and for the two to have won the award,’ he said.