Latest from Search and Rescue

Wanaka crash: 'Hundreds of variables'

It has been a "bad and very sad year already" for aviation in the south, the Civil Aviation Authority says.

Plane crash: 'Such a terrible tragedy'

Tributes are flowing in today for two of New Zealand's most experienced Cessna pilots who died in a horror crash that also claimed the lives of their two children.

Family of four killed in air crash

Four bodies - believed to be from the same family - were last night recovered from the wreckage of a light aircraft near Wanaka.

Bodies recovered from crashed plane

Police have recovered four bodies from a light plane that crashed near Wanaka.

Victim of 'bureaucratic malpractice'

The family of a man whose body was found in the Waikato River last week claim he was the victim of "medical and bureaucratic malpractice".

Missing German tramper found

A German tramper has been found following a search involving three ground teams yesterday.

Drunk man rescued from Mission Bay

A man who went for a "drunken dunk" in Mission Bay last night is extremely lucky another man searching for his Go Pro was able to assist in his rescue, police say.

Missing man's body recovered from Waikato River

'I saw the panic drain from his face'

As a stricken surfer clung to a cave roof while being buffeted by huge waves, Tai Kahn leaped from a helicopter into the churning seas to save the teen's life.

Black box recovered from AirAsia flight

Divers have retrieved a black box from the crashed AirAsia flight from the bottom of the Java Sea, officials say.

Snorkeller missing off Northland beach

The family of a 25-year-old man who went missing while snorkelling in Northland this afternoon are scouring the beach for any sign of him.

Body found in hole named

A former West Coast gold miner whose body was discovered at the bottom of a deep hole yesterday had disappeared previously.

Missing tramper 'drowned'

A tramper who went missing in a remote and rugged part of the South Island is likely to have been swept away by strong currents before drowning in a gorge.

Missing tramper: Tracks found near river

Searchers looking for a tramper missing in rugged country in the South Island have found tracks leading to a river - but none coming out.

Ice theory for AirAsia crash dubious

The first official Indonesian report on the AirAsia crash says the accident was caused by "icing" that damaged the plane's engines - a finding experts immediately doubted.

Climber's family brace for worst

The family of an Australian climber missing for four days on New Zealand's tallest mountain are coming to terms with fears he is probably dead.