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This feed currently contains the following newsitems (total count 15):

    • Mountain Runner, Holdsworth area, Tararua Forest Park, 29-31December 2012
      • This operation was initiated for a overdue mountain runner who had intended to run for 4-5 hours in the Holdsworth area. He was expected back at the Holdsworth road end at noon on 29 December. After failing to arrive, he was reported of due to Police at 1500. LandSAR Wellington was requested to provide assistance on Saturday by our Wairarapa colleagues at 2130. LandSAR Wellington provided 4 personnel to assist with incident management, 15 field members and 2 search dogs over the 2 days we were involved in the operation. Weather during the operation was extremely poor, with high winds [...]

    • No charge for rescue!
      •  No charge for rescue! Wellington’s search and rescue volunteers are rejecting editorial calls by the Nelson Mail for people at the centre of search and rescue operations to be charged for the cost of rescues. “Every minute a person delays calling for help makes the search task that much harder,” said Ross Browne, Chairman of Wellington Land Search and Rescue (“LandSAR Wellington”). “Delays make the potential search area larger, more complex and more resource-intensive to resolve.  We’d rather be called early for a straightforward task than spend a week searching because someone was worried about cost and waited too long to [...]

    • Big Bang Adventure Race
      • Yesterday 12 members of the unit spent the day supporting the Big Bang Adventure Race, a 6 hr race based in the Kapiti/Otaki/Horowhenua area. This year’s event started from Queen Elizabeth Park and headed into the Akatarawa Forest and Maungakotukutuku scenic reserve. Our members helped the race organisers in the planning stages, installed a communication system and provided search and rescue coverage on the day. A great (wet) day out and a productive debrief afterwards.

    • Summary of Rimutaka Forest Park operation 27 October
      • Summary of Rimutaka Forest Park operation 27 October A 5yr old autistic child ran away from their parents on the 5 Mile Track at approximately 1545-1600. When they ran away, they were less than 1km from the Catchpool car park. The parents searched for 20 minutes and then left the track to call for help. The initial response to the incident came from Police general duties staff and a Police dog handler. Police O/C SAR was notified at approximately 1630 and LandSAR Wellington was called out at 1640. The incident management team was assembled at Wellington Central Police Station by [...]

    • Media Release: Rimutaka Forest Park operation
      • LandSAR members thrilled with successful search Wellington Land Search and Rescue (“LandSAR Wellington”) volunteers are thrilled with the successful conclusion to the search operation in the Rimutaka Forest Park. “It’s the sort of operation members joined to do. Reuniting lost children with their families is enormously rewarding,” Ross Browne, Chairman of LandSAR Wellington, said. Wellington Land Search and Rescue regularly assist Police with operations in the Rimutaka Forest Park. The park is a heavily used recreational area popular with family groups, trampers and runners. “The strong partnership between Wellington Police and Wellington LandSAR is a great example of community groups [...]

    • The History Channel – David Ferry, November 1977
      • By Tom Clarkson This was a four day search, and the outcome, even over four days, was entirely attributable to track and clue awareness (not called TCA then). David Ferry was an 11 year old on a school bush walk not far from Waikanae. The group had walked some distance up the southern ridge track to Kapakapanui, and were making good progress back down. However on reaching the stream at the bottom, they were one short. David Ferry. It soon transpired that this young fellow had a reputation as a bit of a ratbag, and had discussed with classmates that he might disappear for a [...]

    • The History Channel – Tweeddale, July 1969
      • By Tom Clarkson  This was a six day search, with the Tararuas at their most alpine. It involved a large number of search teams, all operating in the harshest Tararua tops conditions. Tweeddale was a young police constable, who had recently been accepted as a member of the Wellington Police SAR squad. On a day off he decided to head up Mount Holdsworth. The tops had heavy snow cover, and the snow was well down below the bushline. When he was reported missing search teams soon found his motor scooter at the road end and there were his logbook entries and some of his possessions [...]

    • The History Channel – Karla Cardno, 1989
      • By Tom Clarkson Early Friday evening, 26 May 1989, 13 year old Karla left her parents’ home in Taita for the short journey on her bike to the Taita shop – a few blocks, which she often did. When she hadn’t returned as usual, her mother set out to look for her, and soon found her bike abandoned by the road. Police were called and a major operation was started for a possible abduction. During Saturday the Police enquiries were intense and a major search phase was begun during the day. Initially this was to cover all the roadsides of suburban Taita, and all reserve [...]

    • The History Channel – Walter Neuweg, 1976
      • By Tom Clarkson Talking to Sue Cuthbertson recently she mentioned that her first search operation was the Neuweg search. I remember that one – a big search in the Tararuas, like a search is supposed to be. I know Walter Neuweg, he’s still around in Upper Hutt, and we’ve certainly talked about that search, one of our biggest bush searches of the 70s. Walter was an experienced and accomplished hunter, and always maintained a supply of venison at home. One Saturday in October 1976, he and Freddie set off for a day up Tregear Creek. Tregear Creek drains from Dennan [...]

    • The History Channel – Graham Higgs, January 1970
      • By Tom Clarkson I was involved in this search as one of the party which lost a member, and subsequently was a search team member. Wellington Anniversary weekend in 1970 was fine and the Hutt Valley Tramping Club party of 14 had been making the most of it. The party had gone in via the old Schormanns Track from Putara (not too far from Eketahuna) and once on the tops had headed north and dropped into the headwaters of Ngapuketurua Stream. Most of the group had flotation equipment, mainly car tubes, and they were aiming to follow the stream right [...]

    • The History Channel – Jack Smith, March 1986
      • By Tom Clarkson This search sticks in my memory because in spite of being a major SAR operation, there was no solution, and Mr Smith is still missing. Jack Smith was in his seventies, quite frail and diagnosed as incipient or mild Alzheimers. He went for regular walks on streets and walkways near his home in Trelissick Crescent, Ngaio, and was recognised by many Ngaio residents. On the afternoon of Thursday 20 March he did not return as usual, and police were notified. It was unfortunate that within police it was not initially recognised as a SAR operation and although [...]

    • The History Channel – The Three Harriers
      • October 1980, Rimutaka Forest Park. A feature I remember on this one was the Reflex Tasking – and I will emphasise this here. Saturday October 4 1980 was cold for the time of year, with a southerly storm through the Wellington region. Nevertheless the Wellington Baptist Harrier Club had set out on a Saturday afternoon club run, with about 18 of them heading into the Rimutaka Forest at the Catchpool carpark and setting off over the Orongorongo track. When they reached the Orongorongo River most decided to turn back, and just the three fittest and fastest in the group opted [...]

    • The History Channel – Dudley Search
      • Dudley Search, Ruapehu, July 1972. by Tom Clarkson I recently found some of my old notes which reminded me of the rigours of this search. Several unusual features on this one, including the fact one of the days was physically the hardest in my SAR career. Also navigation by dead reckoning, and improvised radio direction finding. I’m really just going to tell the story of a single day, with a little bit about the events leading to and following, to give the context. Brian and Ann Dudley were an Auckland couple, well-known in alpine club circles. Brian had an established [...]

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