Paraglider rescue training: we worked with the local paraglider club to develop rescue techniques for pilots ditched at sea – invaluable learning for both pilots and Coastguard on handling these life-threatening situations.
LandSAR dog team training exercise: included taking the rescue dogs and handlers on our vessels. These sessions are all about making sure we can work together seamlessly during an emergency, humans and dogs!

We launched our major Slipway Project: currently, rock buildup is preventing our all-weather vessel Blue Arrow Rescue from launching at low tide – we need to build a new launching system to keep the slipway operational 24/7.

Super soiree: we raised around $20,000 on the night from our fundraising soiree, featuring guest speaker para-swimmer Dame Sophie Pascoe plus an art auction.

New crew: we welcomed four new recruits to our volunteer boat crew, plus a new shore crew volunteer.

SAREX training with Sumner-Taylors Surf SAR Squad: Based at Diamond Harbour, we practised search and rescue operations with multiple casualties. We also deployed our drone for aerial searching including night-time exercises, jointly building essential skills.

Rescue, 13 April: A surfer off Scarborough breakwater – hypothermic but made a full recovery thanks to our quick response.

VIP visits: a visit by Mark Mitchell (Minister for Police and for Emergency Management and Recovery) and senior Coastguard management: We joined Coastguard North Canterbury (Kaiapoi) and Coastguard Canterbury (Lyttelton) to demonstrate the important role Coastguard volunteers and specialist teams play in providing the Canterbury emergency marine response.

Community event: We took part in the ANZAC parade in Sumner, an important event we attend every year.

Evening callout, 28 April: Diverted from training to assist a boat in difficulty near Naval Point – we got them home safely as darkness fell.

All volunteer-powered. Great mahi, team.

The Coastguard Sumner Soiree and Art auction raised about $20,000 on the night, plus $60,000 in pledges of ongoing support.

We can’t thank the guests, donors, event sponsors and local artists enough. This level of support is a true reflection of our community, helping to fund our volunteers to save lives on the water.

We kicked off two fundraising initiatives:

our major Slipway Project: currently, rock buildup is preventing our all-weather vessel Blue Arrow Rescue from launching at low tide – we need to build a new launching system to keep the slipway operational 24/7,

and

the Coastguard Sumner “1st XI” pledge to support our annual and ongoing operational costs; you can join using our pledge form.

The soiree was a big success and our gratitude goes out to:

artists Sheila Brown, Rae Manson, Anton Mogridge, Sandie O’Brien and Nicky Vincent who donated original artworks for the charity auction;

speaker Dame Sophie Pascoe and MC Anna Simcic for their insightful Q&A on Sophie’s incredible career as a para-swimmer;

event sponsors Christchurch Casino, Sumner Bowling Club, Colliers real estate and auctioneer Craig Prier of Ray White Ferrymead;

event supporters Plato, Tony Brunt Photography, Party Warehouse, Harakeke florists, Trees for Canterbury, BeachBotanic, Kim Chan Florist & Event Stylist;

local hospitality businesses Joe’s Garage, 4 Shore Sumner, Brigittes Sumner, and Beach Sumner Restaurant & Bar who all donated vouchers for spot prizes.

We encourage you to return their generosity by supporting their businesses!

Thanks again to everyone who attended and to the organisers and crew who made it all happen.

All photos: © Tony Brunt Photography

Save the Date!

Our next soiree will be on Thursday 7th May 2027. See you there!

The month kicked off with a significant multi-agency response at Naval Point, Lyttelton. Alongside Coastguard Canterbury, the Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade, and local club members, our teams on HamiltonJet Rescue and Blue Arrow Rescue assisted a yacht taking on water after striking a reef, while simultaneously rescuing a powerboat that had lost engine power nearby.

Our commitment to the local environment and community remained a top priority. Volunteers and residents joined forces for a successful beach clean-up, removing 12 large bags of debri, including unusual finds like a bike and a scooter batter, from our coastline.

We were also proud to support the annual SURFable sessions at Scarborough Beach, providing VHF radios to ensure the safety of 40 surfers from the disabled community as they took to the waves.

The end of the month brought high energy to Sumner with The Single Fin Mingle surf tournament. Our crew was jolted into action on the Saturday morning after a surfer was caught in a heavy rip at Scarborough. Thanks to a quick-thinking companion who activated the station’s emergency alarm, HamiltonJet Rescue was launched immediately, completing the rescue within minutes.

To round out a busy period, our volunteers focused on upskilling and local support. Crew members spent several hours performing bar crossing and man-overboard drills to ensure peak readiness for future callouts. Back on shore, the team traded lifejackets for lawn bowls, participating in the Sumner Bowling Club’s annual fundraiser to support the local community pool.

Vickie joined us as a boat crew trainee about 10 years ago. She left Coastguard when she had her daughter Ruby, and later rejoined us as a Board member as her illness prevented her from resuming active duty.

Vickie was inspirational – she never let her illness get in the way of making a contribution and she maintained a positive attitude to the last.

Our love and support go out to her family. Rest in peace Vickie.

(Photo: Vickie and husband Ryan at the 2024 Heart Surf event to raise money for her unfunded medication.)

Time was of the essence: a 5.4m boat was sinking near the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour with five people on board.

Our fast-response vessel, HamiltonJet Rescue, was in the water in just 11 minutes with 3 volunteer crew.

As they raced to the scene, Coastguard Canterbury’s rescue vessel and our own all-weather vessel, BlueArrow Rescue, were prepared for launch to provide backup.

When HamiltonJet Rescue arrived, the situation was major.

The boat was swamped and on the rocks at the entrance to Little Port Cooper near the harbour heads. The five boaties were stranded wet and cold on a sliver of shoreline, stuck between the surging sea and steep cliffs.

In a big win for safety, all five were wearing lifejackets. This allowed them to survive the swim from their swamped boat and scramble onto the shore.

Extracting them was a team effort. Our shallow-draft jet boat HamiltonJet Rescue got very close to shore, then each boatie was assisted by a Coastguard Sumner crew member to swim the few metres to the waiting rescue boat.

They were then transferred to the larger Canterbury and Sumner rescue vessels for warmth and transport. They were met at Diamond Harbour and at Naval Point by Hato Hone St John for medical care.

A huge shout-out to the Sumner and Canterbury Coastguard volunteers, teamwork truly made a difference.

Photo: Bjorn Stankowitz

Regular training is well underway again, and our team aboard Blue Arrow Rescue had a memorable moment last week when a pod of dolphins joined them alongside the vessel. A special reminder of why we love our patch of ocean.

Callouts – 22nd & 23rd January

8:50pm, Thurs 22 Jan
A member of the public used the emergency button at our base to report a surfer in difficulty. HamiltonJet Rescue was launched quickly, but the surfer managed to ride white water safely back to shore. A good outcome!

10:28am, Fri 23 Jan
We were tasked to assist a young surfer caught in the Scarborough rip. While our crew prepared to launch and Surf Life Saving Sumner responded with an IRB, two nearby surfers reached him first. He was brought aboard HamiltonJet Rescue, treated for mild hypothermia, and transferred to hospital for further checks. A huge thank‑you to everyone who acted so quickly.

7:51pm, Fri 23 Jan
Another alert from the public reported a person struggling between Black Rock and Taylors Mistake. Our crew launched rapidly and rescued the casualty, who was treated at our base with support from Sumner FENZ and St John. A great example of locals looking out for one another.

February brought a mix of callouts, training, and a thankfully quiet Waitangi weekend for our volunteers.

Callouts – 1st February

1:23pm
Taylors Mistake SLSC alerted us to two freedivers overdue from their pickup point. All three Coastguard Sumner vessels were launched for an extensive search. The divers were later found safe after coming ashore at a different location. A timely reminder of the value of sharing your plans and expected return time.

5:48pm
Later that afternoon we were placed on standby for a small dinghy in the same area. With no further action required, our crew were stood down after 45 minutes.

Dogs on the Water – 3rd February

We joined our partners at LandSAR for joint training with their four‑legged search specialists. The session focused on safely transferring volunteers and dogs between vessels and shore—valuable learning for everyone involved.

Our training programme continues across the coastline and estuary. A heartfelt thank‑you to all our volunteers for the time, skill, and dedication they bring to keeping our community safe.

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!).

Although not the category winner, Daniel received special recognition from DroneDeploy’s Not‑for‑Profit division for his pioneering use of 3D modelling in search and rescue (SAR) operations and for developing what may be a first-of-its-kind Drone SAR Training Simulator.

Coastguard Sumner’s drone programme, now in its second year, is attracting international attention. Linna Selbrede, keynote speaker and Gulf Coast Division Leader of TEXSAR (Texas Search and Rescue) trialled Daniel’s drone SAR training simulator and offered highly positive feedback, expressing interest in exploring its use within TEXSAR’s own operations – a promising step toward deeper collaboration.

Coastguard have published a more detailed article on their web site – read more.

From ‘casualty’ pickups to precision manoeuvres near the breakwater, our live demos showcased the impressive rescue skills of our volunteers.

The station tours sparked plenty of great questions about what we do and how we serve the community.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us. It was a pleasure meeting visitors from near and far.

(Note, we had permission from the Harbourmaster to operate at speeds exceeding the 5knot limit close to shore!)

Coastguard Sumner’s Dave Passmore was interviewed about his experiences helping rescue a 6-year-old boy. The child had been sucked into the rip at Sumner.

A local surfer grabbed the boy who had gone ‘a bit floppy’ and Dave gave first aid at the Coastguard station until the ambulance arrived. Dave is a Coastguard skipper, professional first aid instructor and a former ED nurse so the boy was in good hands.

To help people stay safe in the water at Sumner, Dave will be running ‘stay safe in the rip’ classes this spring and summer. Keep an eye our our Facebook page for dates.

Stuff also interviewed Coastguard Sumner’s drone pilot Daniel Manchester. Daniel has been pioneering the use of drones in marine search and rescue. He has used the drone in several recent searches for missing persons.

Read more about it, and watch the video interview with Daniel in this article from Stuff.

Photos courtesy Stuff.