Wakatipu Search & Rescue

30/09/2026

Police seek the public's help to identify a man seen on the summit track in the Mount Dewar area about 12.30pm on Friday afternoon 18 September.

He might have information useful to the search effort for missing 47-year-old Erika Rodrigues Coelho near Queenstown.

If this is you, or you have any information that could assist us, please get in touch through 105...

27/09/2026

26/08/2026

We recently had our AGM — a chance to reflect on a busy year, recognise our people, and look ahead.

From 1 July to 30 June, we responded to 37 search and rescue operations across the Wakatipu region. Behind every operation are many more hours of training, preparation and planning.

At our AGM, we thanked outgoing committee members, welcomed new ones, and recognised the dedication of our volunteers with New Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and service certificates for 5 to 20 years of service.

Most importantly, we want to thank all our volunteers, and the families and whānau who support us. Your time, commitment and understanding make this mahi possible.

We’d also like to thank our wider community for the ongoing support you show our team. Knowing our community is behind us means a great deal.

A big thank you as well to Coastguard Queenstown for kindly letting us use their space for the evening — we really appreciated the support and hospitality.

29/07/2026

Police received a report of a climber falling an estimated 200 metres down a cliff face and into a crevasse on Mount Aspiring at about 6.15pm last night.

Sergeant Darren Cranfield from Wānaka Police said the climber's companion was faced with an extremely challenging situation.

"After the fall, the companion spent more than three hours climbing in difficult alpine terrain to find enough satellite reception on a mobile phone to raise the alarm. During that time, they too were becoming increasingly at risk of hypothermia."

A search and rescue operation was immediately initiated, with the Otago Lakes Search and Rescue and Heli Otago tasked with locating and rescuing both climbers. The weather was closing in and the chances of a successful rescue was diminishing rapidly.

"This was a complex and dynamic operation where two lives were at risk," Sergeant Cranfield says.

"Given the remote alpine environment, success depended on strong communication, effective collaboration between teams, cross-district coordination and clear decision-making throughout the rescue effort."

At about 1am, both climbers were successfully rescued by Heli Otago, with assistance from the Wakatipu LandSAR Alpine Cliff Rescue Team.

"We are incredibly pleased with this outcome and grateful that we brought both climbers to safety," Sergeant Cranfield says.

Police would like to thank everyone involved in the rescue, including search and rescue personnel, alpine rescue specialists, Heli Otago Rescue and all those who contributed to the operation.

"The professionalism, skill and commitment shown by everyone involved played a critical role in bringing this incident to a successful conclusion."

Sergeant Cranfield says the incident is a timely reminder of the risks that can be encountered in alpine environments.

"Conditions in the mountains can change rapidly, and even experienced climbers can find themselves in dangerous situations."

"We encourage anyone heading into alpine areas to thoroughly prepare, carry appropriate communication equipment and emergency supplies, and ensure they have a plan in place should the unexpected occur."

"Being prepared for the worst can make all the difference when things go wrong."

23/06/2026

Our neighboring team and team mates Bridget and Bandit took a trip to Parliament yesterday to collect their Gold award 👏 Congratulations to all award recipients across Land Search & Rescue New Zealand 🧡

25/05/2026

Last weekend we trained over 28 hours, putting our skills to the test in winter conditions to locate 4 missing people.

Thanks to the local 4WD club for the transportation, Heliworks Queenstown , our 4 willing volunteers to act as lost parties and Ben Lomond station for the use of the area to train.

Land Search & Rescue New Zealand Trained volunteers bringing people home across Aotearoa 🧡

20/05/2026

13/03/2026

Field team training under a pretty epic Wakatipu sunset this week.

The evening started with the Admin Unit at the portacom, running through an overview of a Search and Rescue Operation (SAROP) understanding how searches are planned, coordinated and managed before teams head into the field.

Then the Field Team headed up Coronet Peak Road to the Mt Dewar area to put some practical skills into action. The focus for the night was using thermal imagers, binoculars, and passive containment/observation techniques, all about slowing down, watching carefully, and picking up the small details that can make the difference in a search. Thermal imaging allows warm objects, like people, to stand out clearly against cooler surroundings, even in low light.

Great to see everyone out training, learning and sharpening skills together.

13/02/2026

While we may have taken a short break from formal training over the Christmas and New Year period, it certainly wasn’t a quiet summer for Wakatipu Search and Rescue.

Throughout the holiday season our volunteers remained actively engaged in operations across the region. Our Incident Management Team, Administration Support, Field teams, Alpine Cliff Rescue and Search Dog handlers were all involved in responding to incidents. On average, our teams were deployed weekly, providing vital support to those who needed assistance.

Summer in Wakatipu brings an increase in visitors exploring our mountains and backcountry. We’re proud of the commitment shown by our volunteers, who stepped up time and again to ensure people were brought home.

Last night marked our first training of 2026, bringing the team back together for a safe river crossing session — an essential skill given the dynamic and often hazardous river conditions in our region. We finished the evening with a well-earned BBQ, reconnecting as a team and reflecting on a busy start to the year.

A huge thank you to our volunteers and their whānau If you’d like to learn more about Land Search and Rescue and how you can support our work, visit www.landsar.org.nz