Above: Senior Constable Melinda Lenders has been commended for her tireless work helping out in the aftermath of the Solomon Islands tsunami.By Sarah Schwager
A CRANBOURNE policewoman has received a commendation for her work during the devastating tsunami in the Solomon Islands in April.
Senior Constable Melinda Lenders was recently deployed to the Solomon Islands as part of a two-year secondment to the Australian Federal Police with the International Deployment Group.
On 2 April, an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale – the largest in 30 years – occurred in the Western Province near Gizo and Munda, creating a tsunami and widespread damage that led to 52 people being killed while thousands lost their homes.
At the time, Sen Const Lenders was on patrol with an Australian Army platoon and unaware of the disaster.
She was quickly deployed to Munda to act as Air Liaison Officer, where she was solely responsible for the delivery of all aid and personnel by air to the affected areas, including the deployment of aircraft for Aero Medical Evacuation (AME) of critically ill patients.
“Numerous AMEs were conducted, such as boat crews who had fallen into the sea after colliding with reefs that had risen close to the surface as a result of the earthquake, pregnant women going into premature labour from shock, on top of other major lacerations, breaks and outbreaks of malaria, dysentery and the like,” Sen Const Lenders said.
“I will never forget carrying an unconscious baby out of the helicopter and handing her to a nurse at the hospital.”
Sen Const Lenders said the ‘hospital’ had very little or no medications, no X-ray machines or technology, and even had two patients in each bed.
Last week she was presented with a commendation certificate by Commander Will Jamieson of the Participating Police Force for the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands.
During the 12-day operation, Sen Const Lenders, who is still based overseas, said she worked 18 to 22 hours a day.
“During the relief effort we endured many aftershocks measuring 4.7 to 6.7, which were very unnerving,” she said.
“Things would fall off walls and tables. We kept wondering if another of such a high magnitude would occur while we were there.”
Another police member, Andrew Pascoe, who was also formerly stationed at Cranbourne, was based at Munda Police Post when the earthquake occurred and was also awarded a certificate from the commander for his efforts in the coordination of assistance, loading and unloading barges and aircraft.
