It’s been a busy start to the summer season for Wānaka Search & Rescue (SAR).

Wānaka police detective Alan Lee told the Wānaka App there had been about ten incidents since October, including two rescues from Mt Aspiring and one from Cascade Saddle. A tramper was retrieved from the Timaru Creek area, and a party of people were stuck on the wrong side of the river at Fantail Falls.

“It shows that people are out in the hills - that’s a good thing,” Wānaka SAR chair Bill Day said.

Most call-outs happen between October and February but, even so, the start of the season has been “remarkably busy,” he said.

“I guess people know it’s easy to get help these days - and sometimes they are a little more confident than their abilities.”

Another factor, Bill said, is that conditions at Aoraki Mt Cook have been challenging so “a lot of people who would be climbing there have come here.”

Most people heading into the outdoors now carry personal locator beacons (PLBs), a “game changer” for search and rescue operations, Bill said.

“The reality is when you push your beacon off, you’re probably going to have a helicopter with a highly skilled extraction team come to you within an hour or so.”

This means days-long or week-long search and rescues are mostly a thing of the past.

However, as the way people use the outdoors changes, so too does the skill set SAR needs.

“There’s new things happening, like canyoning is becoming more and more popular, particularly in this region,” Bill said.

He said this brings new challenges - like the difficulty of getting satellite reception to call for help, the difficulty of rescue in canyons, and the specialised skills required for that kind of operation.

Wānaka SAR is one of the busiest SAR operations in the country.

It is entirely volunteer-run and members leave work and busy lives for call-outs.

Taking a PLB with you is good practice, but it should be just one of a number of safety precautions a person should take to stay safe and reduce the need for a rescue. 

The NZ Land Safety Code provides five key steps for enjoying the outdoors, safely: 

Choose the right trip for you - It pays to learn about the route and make sure you have the skills for it. 

Understand the weather - It can change fast. Check the forecast and change your plans if needed. 

Pack warm clothes and extra food - Prepare for bad weather and an unexpected extra night out. 

Share your plans - Telling a trusted person your trip details and taking a beacon can save your life. 

Take care of yourself and each other - Eat, drink, rest, and stick with your group and make decisions together. 

PHOTO: Geoff Marks