LandSAR group search for 'missing girl' in Whanganui training exercise

Whanganui LandSAR were seen spending Saturday on a training exercise in Whanganui. Photo / Lewis Gardner

A hair tie and a pink balloon were clues for a team searching for a missing 7-year-old girl in Whanganui on August 29 - but this time it was just a training exercise.

The search was part of a field refresher for 15 of Whanganui LandSAR's 30-strong team, training co-ordinator Elly Arnst said. It took place in Peakes Ave.

The searchers divided into two groups and went house to house, interviewing residents, asking permission to search their properties and looking for clues.

During the afternoon they searched for a missing pre-teen child at St John's Hill School, and found a person "planted" there relatively quickly.

They also need to practise searching in a crowd, which has not been possible under Covid-19 level 2 restrictions.

The group does field refreshers twice a year, Arnst said, and has a 48-hour bush exercise planned for October.