The Christmas/New Year holiday period kept us busy with 7 callouts, the first being mid-afternoon on Christmas Day.
About a dozen volunteer crew left their Christmas celebrations to respond to a report of two swimmers in difficulties off New Brighton pier.
Our jet ski Ian Dewe Rescue was launched with 2 crew but returned to base soon after as the swimmers had made it safely to shore. A good result, so our volunteers closed up the station and returned to their families.
However, as well as several minor incidents over the holiday we had a couple of serious callouts.
Double Paraglider Crash at Taylors Mistake
9:00pm, Sat 27/12/2025
We were tasked to a major incident: two paragliders had ditched into the sea near Moki Point, Taylors Mistake. We launched HamiltonJet Rescue at 9:10 PM, reaching the crash site within 5 minutes.
The Taylors Mistake Surf Life Saving Club, who were in the middle of a social event, rapidly switched into emergency mode too, preparing IRBs for launching. Their IRBs were crewed by members of the Sumner-Taylors Mistake Surf SAR Squad.
With fading daylight and the extreme danger of entanglement in the submerged canopies and lines, speed was critical.
The Result: a great outcome as both pilots managed to detach from their harnesses and swim to the rocks shortly before the on-water help arrived.
The two paraglider wings were still floating in the sea, so they recovered from the water by the SAR Squad and Coastguard and later returned to the pilots.
This was a serious team effort coordinated by Canterbury Police, involving Coastguard Sumner, Sumner-Taylors Mistake Surf SAR Squad, Taylors Mistake SLSC, Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade and Hato Hone St John.
URGENT CALLOUT: Rescue at Moki Point
12:31pm, Sun 4/1/2026
Our volunteers were tasked by Canterbury Police to a serious incident. A person had fallen down steep rocks at Moki Point, Taylors Mistake.
Within just 8 minutes, HamiltonJet Rescue was on the water, followed closely by our jet ski, Ian Dewe Rescue. Moki Point is the next bay from our base so our crew was on the scene almost immediately, with three team members going ashore to reach the casualty on the rocks.
Meanwhile the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to the scene.
Taylors Mistake SLSC were quickly on scene too, with 3 patrollers and an IRB.
The situation was serious, with suspected spinal injuries. We want to extend a big thank you to a local GP who happened to be nearby that worked side-by-side with our volunteer Coastguard crew, the Surf Life Savers and the helicopter flight paramedic.
The team were at the scene for about 30 minutes, where they stabilised and transitioned the patient to a stretcher for a precision winch extraction. The casualty was flown to hospital for medical attention.
This was another multi-agency response. A big shoutout to the helicopter crew for their amazing skills, Taylors Mistake SLSC, Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade, NZ Canterbury Police, and Hato Hone St John.
Thanks to our Volunteer crew
Our volunteers gave up their time on multiple occasions throughout the holiday period, with around 10-12 people attending each incident. We give heartfelt thanks to them for their service, and a big thank you to their long-suffering families who supported our crew during the festive season (and of course throughout the year!).