Coastguard New Zealand, Surf Life Saving Kariotahi, New Zealand Police, Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust - multi-agency rescue at Port Waikato River Bar, North Island, New Zealand

Finalist of the IMRF Awards 2019 Category: Team

Winner of the IMRF People's Choice Award 2019

In May this year, a man, woman and child were in a small boat at the entrance to the Waikato River, when, at about 17:30, the boat stalled and flipped, tossing them into the freezing water.

They managed to call the police and a large multi-agency search and rescue operation began, co-ordinated by the Coastguard Northern Operations Centre.

Three Coastguard rescue vessels were dispatched from Waiuku and Papakura, together with shore-based search teams from the police, the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter, a police helicopter with thermal imaging equipment and a Surf Life Saving inflatable rescue boat (IRB).

There was almost no wind. The sea was flat, but waves breaking on the bar at the entrance to the river were huge, creating a lot of sea spray and hampering visibility for the rescuers. It was a very dark night, with no moon and the sand on the nearby beach was black.

The Police Eagle helicopter located the three people in the water – barely alive - with infrared heat-detection equipment. The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter positioned overhead for a winch operation, but lack of visual reference and sea spray meant the operation was abandoned.

It was not safe for rescue boats to cross the bar, so the IRB searched using the rescue helicopter’s landing light, while Police vehicles parked on the beach and used their headlights to help visibility in 1.5 to 2m breaking waves.

In just four minutes the patients were found, taken onboard and returned to shore.

The rescue helicopter landed to medivac the patients. The woman and child were critically hypothermic, with the woman suffering cardiac arrest several times on the way to hospital. The man was cold but not critical, taken to hospital for monitoring.

The rescue involved intense teamwork across all organisations involved and thanks to their skill and dedication, all three casualties were safely and made a full recovery.

Photo Gallery

Or view this Gallery in Flickr.

Photo Gallery of the IMRF Awards 2019 Day

Or view the full IMRF Awards 2019 album in Flickr.

Latest

Development of Inflatable Rescue Craft
#FutureSAR, Fredrik Falkman, Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS)

Fredrik Falkman from Sweden's SSRS suggests that SAR organisations need to have a smarter approach to operating in rising sea levels, with a critical assigning of resources for each operation.
Blog: Captain Hilmar Snorrason, Principle at the Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre, ICE-SAR

We speak with Captain Hilmar Snorrason, Principal at the Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre at ICE-SAR, about his 30-year career in maritime safety.
Future SAR Videos

Arthur Allen, US Coast Guard

Over the last 35 years, Arthur Allen has been advising the US Coast Guard on the impact of ocean currents and winds on the location of people, vessels or aircraft in distress.
Clay Evans, Superintendent, Canadian Coast Guard

Clay Evans has dedicated over 30 years of service to maritime search and rescue. He began as a rescue boat student, joining the Coast Guard as a Navigator after graduation.
Use of remotely controlled assets in Maritime SAR - UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Phillip Hanson

The UK has many areas of difficult coastline and a range of tidal reaches, but drones and emerging technologies offer new ways of finding people missing in remote and rural areas.
Floating Rescue Stretcher - NSRI, South Africa

The National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa conducts many rescues along difficult rocky shorelines, where any casualties have either to be carried to safety along the narrow coastal footpath, or have to be evacuated by sea.
Marine Rescue Port Macquarie, Sydney, Australia

In April this year, Marine Rescue Port Macquarie received a mayday alert that a 10m motor cruiser with three people on board had run into something hard at sea.
Daisy Gallardo, President, Cuerpo de Voluntarios del Bote Salvavidas de Puerto Montt

Daisy is the President of the Cuerpo de Voluntarios del Bote Salvavidas de Puerto Montt (CVBSPM), a volunteer search and rescue organisation in Chile. The volunteers train each week to ensure that they are ready for any maritime SAR mission.
Captain HUANG Zhibin, Donghai No.2 Flying Service of Ministry of Transport

Captain Zhibin Huang is nominated for demonstrating exceptional skill and courage, during the rescue of crew from the cargo ship LINFUNE 16 during a Super Typhoon.
Captain SONG Yin, Donghai No.1 Rescue Flying Service of the Ministry of Transport

Captain SONG Yin joined Donghai No.1 Rescue Flying Service of the Ministry of Transport after graduating from Shanghai Maritime University in 2008.
Isobel Tugwell, Shoreham Lifeboat Crew, RNLI

Isobel joined the RNLI Shoreham crew aged just 17 years old, while studying for her A level exams. With the support of the school, she was given a parking space and approval to leave lessons and join the crew whenever her pager went off alerting her to an emergency at sea.

SAR Matters: Defining Distress Continued ...

People known to be in distress need to be rescued, of course – and the SAR community knows that this concept must also be extended to those believed to be in distress, and to those who, while not yet in distress, will become so if help is not provided to them in the meantime.
MRO Home
Our Work
People's Choice Award 2024
Basic Rescue Boat Operator Manual & Search Cards

This manual, together with the accompanying Rescue Boat Operator Search Cards, provides recommended best practice for any organisation looking at introducing basic training in Rescue Boat SAR operations.
Join Our Mailing List
Contact Us
Join the IMRF

The IMRF brings together and represents the world’s maritime search and rescue organisations, including voluntary and governmental organisations, as well as suppliers to the sector, to improve maritime SAR capabilities worldwide.
Our Members
Staff