Anzac Day commemorations took an unexpected turn for two Auckland police officers tasked with retrieving irreplaceable treasures scattered on the motorway.
A North Shore man had been attending the Anzac Day dawn service with his young family when he realised with a "sinking heart" that he had lost a priceless piece of family history – his grandfather’s war medals.
The man had been driving home when he realised he had placed the medals on the roof of his vehicle while strapping his young children into their car seats.
"Unbelievably they had survived the trip home from the service, but not the second outing," New Zealand Police wrote on social media this evening.
"Unsure who to call, he phoned police for advice, giving precise information about where and when the medals flew off the roof and a detailed description of what they looked like."
Senior Constable Errol Diprose and Constable Matthew Riley were tasked with helping search for the medals.
Traffic on the motorway was slowed and "within minutes, they retrieved three of the four medals", police said.
"The fourth medal remains at large."
The man said he had no idea who to turn to and "didn’t hold much hope of getting them back".
"Police’s response was so quick and I’m so relieved to have three of them returned – only hours after I lost them,” the man said.
Senior Constable Diprose said the medals were found scattered along the shoulder of the motorway and in the carriageway.
"We managed to find three of the four medals but unfortunately, they had been struck by several vehicles when we found them," he said.
The man was just grateful for the police’s efforts and the return of the medals.
He's now making inquiries on how to restore them to their former glory.
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