LandSAR NZ specialist alpine cliff rescue members in a search and rescue training exercise at Mt Ruapehu in 2014. Photo / Pete Zimmer
Tēnā koutou katoa. Over the last number of weeks I have mentioned the good work that our staff have been doing around keeping the community safe including the great results around gangs and burglaries in the area.
Today I want to thank our unsung heroes from Land Search and Rescue
(LandSAR) and Coastguard. These men and women, many who have employment commitments, drop their tools or leave the office at short notice responding to people in need.
These calls often occur at inconvenient times throughout the day and night. A number are when the weather is poor and deteriorating, yet these men and women go forth to help those lost and injured.
Unfortunately, these operations do not always end well. Emergency service workers know that we will see things in our vocation that most people will and should never see in their lifetime. These volunteers also see the sad results of these operations. In the last week it has been unfortunate that Police have called upon the service of these groups to recover bodies from Mt Ruapehu and the Waikato River.
