Two soldiers have revealed they disobeyed Civil Defence orders so they could rescue people trapped in Esk Valley during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Locals there were stranded on roofs as floodwaters raged around them.
The two reservists, based near Napier say they were ordered to go on a rescue mission to Glengarry Road near Puketapu but decided the bigger emergency was in Esk Valley and went there instead.
Jemima Huston reports.
RNZ received the following response from the Commanding Officer of 5/7 Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Fortune.
"The actions of the two 5/7 Battalion soldiers in the immediate response to Cyclone Gabrielle were nothing short of courageous and worthy of praise.
"Often in these scenarios, our people and assets are prepositioned in certain locations based on previous experiences of weather events.
"In this instance, our people, along with FENZ and NZ Police were responding to multiple requests for assistance in the middle of the night in very dynamic and challenging circumstances, where communications were being stretched.
"They did not 'break the chain of command' and instead they should be described as being both incredibly experienced and senior personnel who used their initiative to respond to communities in need."
