The skydiving instructor who saved the life of a Canberra teenager during a freak accident was on Thursday posthumously honoured with one of Australia's highest awards for bravery.
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Antonio Rokov, 44, was killed in the tandem skydiving accident at Goulburn on November 21, 2015.
He had twisted his body under 14-year-old Elijah Arranz and took the brunt of the sudden fall when their parachute collapsed.
On learning of his award, Mr Rokov's wife Samantha said she had been not the least bit surprised by his selflessness that day.
"We all just went, 'Of course he would've'," Ms Rokov said. "That's Tony. That's what he would do. He would make that sacrifice."
Ms Rokov said the recognition would help her young son to understand what his dad had done.
"[He'll] be able to go, my Dad's been remembered for his bravery," she said. "We miss him every single day. It's just really hard, with his parents especially and his family, and our family as well.
"But I'm just so proud of him. So proud of him. Right to the very end."
Mr Rokov and Elijah were about 20 metres from the ground when a freak gust of wind caused the parachute to collapse.
They quickly plummeted, but as they neared the ground, Mr Rokov twisted his body underneath the boy and took the full impact of the sudden drop.
Elijah said on Thursday that Mr Rokov was fully deserving of the award. "He did a very unselfish act when he saved my life," he said. "I think he would be amazed [by the honour] if he was still here."
Elijah's mother Robin said she was "a bit overwhelmed with emotion" when she first heard about Mr Rokov's bravery award from his wife Samantha.
She said Mr Rokov's award was so well-deserved. "It's wonderful for his family and his friends that he's recognised this way," she said.
"His legacy can live on."
Mr Rokov was posthumously awarded the Star of Courage in the latest round of the Australian Bravery Awards. The Star of Courage is Australia's second highest bravery decoration, given to those who display "conspicuous courage".
"Sadly, there are those whose brave acts mean they are no longer with us," the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said on announcing the awards. "Today, to their families, I express the nation's sadness at your loss but pride in your loved one's actions.
"We are fortunate as a community to have so many outstanding people willing to put themselves in harm's way to assist others in need."
Since 1975, there have been five awards of the Cross of Valour, 170 awards of the Star of Courage, 1,359 awards of the Bravery Medal, 2,086 Commendations for Brave Conduct and 182 awards of the Group Bravery Citation.
Tony Rokov's full citation
On 21 November 2015, the late Mr Antonio Rokov shielded a young person during a skydiving accident near Goulburn in New South Wales.
Mr Rokov, an experienced skydiving instructor, had meticulously prepared his equipment prior to undertaking a tandem skydive near Goulburn Airport, New South Wales. The weather was calm with wind speeds of approximately 11km/h coming from the south.
Mr Rokov then briefed a 14 year old boy who would be undertaking the tandem sky dive with him and provided reassurance to the boy's anxious family in the process. After a normal take-off and jump from the plane, the pair descended.
When they were approximately 20 metres from landing, a freak gust of wind caused their parachute to collapse and violently fold in half. Mr Rokov and the boy quickly began to plummet during which time the boy was flipped horizontally. As they approached the ground Mr Rokov immediately twisted his body under the boy and took the full force of the impact.
First aid was administered straight away to both Mr Rokov and the boy and continued until emergency services arrived on scene. Sadly, Mr Rokov died as a result of the injuries he sustained. The boy, though injured, survived the fall.
By his actions, Mr Rokov displayed conspicuous courage.
With AAP
