Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol

05/05/2026

Deepest condolences to the families of the crew from Marine Rescue NSW.
A very tragic day for all involved, this is an immensely heartbreaking event for all.

Last night was the darkest night ever experienced by Marine Rescue NSW.

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers answer the call for help 24/7 and last night six members from Marine Rescue Ballina did just that. They launched with a single mission, to save lives on the water and assist a yacht, reported to be in difficulty off the South Ballina break wall.

Tragically, two of our volunteers lost their lives during the response.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Todd Andrews said the devastating loss is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by volunteers who serve their communities.

“These two men were serving their local community and have made the ultimate sacrifice to help others.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of the deceased, their fellow crew members, the brave radio operators who handled the difficult communications during the incident, the entire Marine Rescue NSW family and the wider Ballina community during this incredibly difficult time.

“We are supporting our volunteers and their families through professional counselling and chaplaincy support.

“We ask that the privacy of those involved and their families be respected during this difficult time,” Commissioner Andrews said.

11/04/2026

UPDATE: Sunday 12 April, 10.30am
MetService New Zealand has updated the Strong Wind Warning for Aotea Great Barrier Island.
STRONG WIND WARNING - ORANGE for Great Barrier Island
Area: Great Barrier Island
Period: 8hrs from 12:00pm Sun to 8:00pm Sun
Forecast: Gale easterlies changing to severe gale westerlies this afternoon, with gusts of 120km/h in exposed places.
Minimal chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
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Last updated 10pm, 11 April;
Kia ora everyone, MetService New Zealand has made some updates to today's forecast, mainly around the timing of warnings for Auckland and Aotea Great Barrier Island. Follow MetService for updates or download the Metservice App from the App Store or Google Play.

The current track of Cyclone Vaianu can be found at www.metservice.com/warnings/tropical-cyclone-activity

📍Aotea Great Barrier Island has been upgraded to a RED warning for wind. The combination of damaging winds, heavy rain and coastal inundation makes this a multi-hazard, potentially life-threatening event.
📍The locations of the most severe impacts associated with Cyclone Vaianu, such as power outages, falling trees, flooding, slips, road closures and isolated communities are highly dependent on the cyclone's track.
📍Strong Wind and Heavy Rain Watches and Warnings are in force for much of the North Island and upper South Island Sunday and early Monday. Further areas are likely to be upgraded to Orange or Red as the cyclone approaches and its track becomes clearer.

📍STRONG WIND WARNING - RED for Great Barrier Island
Area: Aotea Great Barrier Island
Period: 22hrs from 10.00pm Sat to 8:00pm Sun

Forecast: Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale west to northwesterly Sunday afternoon, with damaging gusts of 130km/h. Note winds easing from the north during Sunday afternoon.

Impact: Threat to life from flying items and falling trees. Destructive winds will cause widespread damage including powerlines and roofs, with dangerous driving conditions and significant disruption to transport and power supply.

📍STRONG WIND WARNING - ORANGE for Auckland excluding Aotea Great Barrier Island
Area: Auckland
Period: 20hrs from 10.00pm Sat to 6:00pm Sun

Forecast: Severe gale east to southeasterlies about areas north of Orewa changing to severe gale west to southwesterly Sunday early afternoon, gusting 130km/h in exposed places.
Moderate chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.

Impact: Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

📍HEAVY RAIN WARNING - ORANGE for Auckland including Aotea Great Barrier Island
Area: Auckland and Great Barrier Island
Period: 17hrs from 9:00pm Sat to 2:00pm Sun

Forecast: Expect 70 to 100 mm of rain to accumulate. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/hr. Note, heavy swells and coastal inundation likely, especially about Aotea Great Barrier Island and the outer gulf.
Low chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.

Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.

Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board

09/04/2026

⚠️ Cyclone Alert ⚠️

Please read survival advice below:

Are you prepared? Do you have a plan if you need to evacuate?

Extra tropical cyclone Vaianu is expected to track south-southwest towards New Zealand during the weekend making landfall on Sunday. Forecasted low is 972 hpa, not quite as low as Cyclone Gabrielle but certainly not far off.

Tides are expected to be high on/around the time of landfall, with the center of the low situated around the Hauraki Gulf on Sunday, progressively moving SE towards Monday.

Forecasters have anticipated 10-12m waves in some places. So avoid coastal areas.

Might be a good time to check moorings, or relocate vessels into sheltered bays.

Another thing to remember, for every Hectopascal below the standard 1013 hectopascal datum, the sea level rises by 1cm.
1013hpa - 972hpa = 41cm increase, on top of the predicted high Tides. This does not include 10-12m waves in some areas around the low.

There is a very real and very serious danger to life associated with this Cyclone 🌀

Here are some things to think about:

GO BAGS 🎒: First Aid essentials/Batteries/Torches/Warm clothing/Some high energy bars/Water/Two way radios (if you have them)/Multi Tools etc.

CHECK and RESTOCK First Aid Kits:

Bandages
Wraps
Torniquets
Pain relief
Emergency blankets
Wound closures
High energy drink sachets
Plasters

Know exactly what you have and where it is!

CREATE A PLAN:

Remember the 5 P's PRIOR -PLANNING - PREVENTS - POOR - PERFORMANCE 👈

Plan thoroughly - Know your escape routes, create a plan with all members of your family, if you have to evacuate, know exactly how this will happen. What resources are required & available to you and ensure your vehicle is ready to move.

Go bags can be stored inside the vehicle. Everything you require to survive should be ready to go at a moments notice.

Remember flooding will be a real threat, try to restrict night driving, especially rural. If you have to be on the road at night 🌙 be very vigilant for downed powerlines and trees 🌳. Remember roads in some areas will wash out, especially in the more affected areas.

Stay away from Trees and powerlines.

Tie down anything that can be picked up in high winds and become a flying missile around the home.

Be safe! Be Vigilant!

See you all back on the water soon, with blue skies and calm seas 🌊

Air Patrol OUT 🫡

03/03/2026

A very sad week for our maritime communities, recent tragedies in the water highlight the need to be extra cautious in and around the water 💧

Our Aircrews being involved in both incidents, Actively involved in search efforts out east, along side Hibiscus Rescue as well as to the west at Karekare beach.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Whanau and friends, of these two very tragic incidents.

Search efforts are still on going for the missing person at Karekare.

Please remember, life jackets save lives, two forms of communication saves lives, if you have flares, they save lives as they allow easy target identification for rescue.

If you can buy a personal locator beacon, buy one, they save lives as well. In Aviation we have the 5 P's
P - Prior
P- Planning
P- Prevents
P- Poor
P- Performance

Sometimes tragedies happen, things happen, sometimes it is unavoidable, but having a plan, briefing that plan with all occupants of your vessel is a step of many in the right direction.

Key take away = BE PREPARED for anything and always be alert ⚠️

It was a heartbreaking weekend on the water, with several incidents reminding us how quickly things can change on the water. A number of people found themselves in serious difficulty, and while some were able to make it back to shore safely, there was also devastating loss.

On Sunday morning, volunteers were involved in a search after a kayaker was reported missing in the Hibiscus Coast area. Sadly, the person did not survive.

Later that day, a rock fisher was swept into the sea at Union Bay, Karekare. The search is continuing, with Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol assisting again today.

We acknowledge the profound impact these events have on families, friends and communities, and our thoughts are with all those grieving.

Moments like these are a sobering reminder of how quickly things can change on the water - please take care and look out for those around you.

02/03/2026

Come join us at Warbirds On Parade 2026, March 15, 9am - 4pm.
Come meet the ACAP crew explore the plane along with Papakura Coastguard and their CRV. 🛟 ✈️ ⛵️

16/11/2025

Over the weekend, aircrews of the Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol conducted a large scale search, for an overdue vessel with two people aboard, reported after 9:00pm friday evening in the Pataua Harbour / southern Ngunguru Bay area.

Our crews searching a large area of the coastline as well as out to sea.

ACAP crews in ZK-SAR flying rigorous search patterns over a two day period from morning until late afternoon.

Saturday 15th - Tasking to head north in support of search efforts, returning home early evening.

On Sunday morning our Aircrews were tasked to head north from our home base Ardmore Airport.

Once on-scene, Aircrews conducted shoreline and seaward searches until fuel became low.

Landing at Whangarei for fuel before re-engaging into the 2nd round of searching, which totalled 5 hrs of on-scene searching.

This difficult and challenging search is part of a multi agency response that saw crews from Coastguard Whangarei, Northland Coastguard Air Patrol, Coastguard Tutukaka, The Police Eagle Helicopter and the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the P8 Poseidon and our team of dedicated aircrews from ACAP. All taking part in co-ordinated over lapping search efforts. Recovering one with one still outstanding.

Our team are dedicated to finding the last remaining soul, with search efforts still underway.

We thank all of our dedicated and professional aircrews for their service, and their unwavering commitment to locating the last person who is still to be located.

Without your dedication, and your sacrifices that you all make for our cause, we wouldn't be able to do what we all strive to do.

The hardest part of this profession is when we know someone is still out there.

There are no words that can ever describe that.

That is why we are committed to finding every last soul.

This is a very difficult time for our crews and a very difficult time for the friends and Whanau of the missing boatie.

Our deepest condolences go out to the whanau in what is a heartbreaking situation.

Our Aircrews remain steadfast and determined to do everything they can to help bring the missing family member home.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Whanau during this time.

Search efforts are still on-going.

16/11/2025

Coastguard volunteers have been working alongside New Zealand Police since late last night in the search for an overdue vessel with two people aboard, reported after 9:00pm in the Pataua Harbour / southern Ngunguru Bay area.

Coastguard Whangarei and Coastguard Tutukaka searched overnight, and were supported by Police Eagle helicopter at 2:00am. The search concluded at 3:00am, with crews back on shore by 4:30am.

This morning, the search resumed with Coastguard Whangarei and Coastguard Tutukaka, supported by Northland Coastguard Air Patrol’s fixed-wing aircraft. A vessel was spotted by a member of the public, which was then visually confirmed by Northland Coastguard Air Patrol. Coastguard Whangarei’s 'Circa Rescue' responded and towed the vessel to shore - no one was onboard.

Shortly after, Coastguard was notified that a person on a jet ski had discovered someone in the water. Coastguard Tutukaka’s 'Tutukaka Rescue' responded, retrieved the individual - sadly deceased - and returned to shore to meet Police.

Northland Coastguard Air Patrol returned to base due to low fuel, and Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol joined the search with Coastguard Tutukaka and Whangarei. All three have now returned to shore.

Our deepest condolences go out to the whānau in what is a heartbreaking situation. Our volunteers remain committed to doing everything they can to help bring the missing family member home.

We are immensely grateful to our volunteers who have spent significant time away from their own loved ones to try to bring other people’s loved ones home.

23/09/2025

A recent video taken by our In-flight Observer, Will, showing the ferocity of the Manukau Bar.

Did you know, the Manukau Bar (And the Manukau Harbour) including Whatipu to the north, is one of the last remenants of an ancient wetland called Paorae that once extended 5kms out to sea?

Over time, the ocean has slowly reclaimed this land mass which is now under water, filling the Manukau Harbour with sea water.

By the 1840s this land mass had almost disappeared. Today, we can only imagine what it may have looked like 🤔🙂.

22/09/2025

ATTN West Coast Boaties ⚠️

Be vigilant for the endangered Maui Dolphin 🐬

Did you know that the Maui Dolphin is critically endangered with only 54 remaining? A sad but very true statistic.

Department of Conservation are very interested in any sightings between Kawhia and Kaipara Harbors, with their main north island habitat around Hamiltons Gap, Awhitu Peninsular.

Their gradual demise is due to two main reasons:
1. Set nets
2. A destructive parasite called Toxoplasmosis

Every year there are more Maui Dolphins 🐬 washing up deceased on our West coasts. Further increasing their rapid decline.

If you are out and about on the west coasts, please be very mindful of the Maui Dolphin. Most importantly, give them a wide berth.

Lower your vessels RPM and steer a course that keeps your vessel as far away from the dolphins as possible.

A handy way to identify a Maui Dolphin, is its distinctive rounded fin.

The Department of Conservation has released the rounded fin call it in campaign, in order to determine their locations at certain times of the year and their numbers.

Once these national treasures are lost, they are gone forever. The Maui is one of our Kiwi icons.

The data collected by YOU 🫵 will assist in a major project that is underway to prevent more deaths.

If you see any Maui Dolphins, call it in by phoning 0800DOCHOT. (0800362468)

For more information please visit the link below.

Air Patrol out 🫡

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/dolphins/maui-dolphin/report-sightings/

24/06/2025

Absolutely incredible footage captured by Coastguard Crew member Jackson Ngamutu from Hibiscus Rescue!

I don't know about you, but some of our Aircrews would be rather sea sick if we were on the water!
(the person writing this included) Absolute respect Coastguard Hibiscus who do this every day. And to all our fellow crews, from every Unit who are on the water.

Together we can save lives at sea 🌊.