LandSAR

New Zealand Land, Search and Rescue (LandSAR) | Training costs

LandSAR are a national volunteer organisation which provides land search and rescue services to lost, missing and injured all over New Zealand. Their volunteers operate in all types of terrain, and commit to regular, professional training including advanced bushcraft, survival, navigation, first aid and search skills on their own time. 

LandSAR receive government funding for running costs, but much of its work depends on donated time and money. With a $3,000 grant from Nikau Foundation, Wairarapa SAR provided volunteers with refresher river training, and training on use of helicopters. 

Volunteers were flown up to a high point where they practiced unloading with the helicopter at the hover or (hover loading). From there each group had to navigate through untracked bush to the Waingawa River.  They then had to walk down the river to the start point.  Volunteers were able to satisfy the requirements for three mandatory field competencies, Helicopter Safety, Personal Fitness and River Safety. 

Wairarapa SAR had a small amount of the Nikau Foundation funding left over from that day and used it to train a group of new SAR volunteers in helicopter safety at Amalgamated Helicopters near Carterton.  Most of these new volunteers had no previous exposure to helicopters and it was important to give them a thorough grounding prior to any deployment. 

We are grateful to the Zac Pearson Fund which helped make this grant possible.