Search and Rescue Nelson

⛰️ River Flood Safety Training – St Arnaud 🌊

Our team had an awesome River Flood Safety course last Saturday in St Arnaud! With tutors Chris Whitehouse and Neal McAloon, we got stuck into a strong outflow from Lake Rotoiti to practice:
✔️ Solo river crossings
✔️ Team crossings
✔️ Throw bag techniques
✔️ And yes… plenty of controlled swims after pushing skills right to the point of failure!

The course brought together dedicated SAR team members from Nelson, Golden Bay, and Motueka — fantastic collaboration and commitment all round.

Great learning, great conditions, and great people. 🧡

Acknowledgement N. McAloon for the photography.📷

We are delighted to learn that Graham has been located safely, and send our well wishes to Graham and his whānau as they reunite and focus on recovery.

Graham Garnett, 66, has been found sheltering in a hut in Kahurangi National Park, alive.

Graham went tramping in the Baton/Ellis River area and did not return as expected on 30 December.

An operation got underway involving Land Search and Rescue New Zealand (LandSAR) groups and specialist teams, New Zealand Defence Force, Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand and many volunteers and supporters.

On Thursday 15 January, the search team made the difficult decision to call off the search but remained ready to respond if new information came to light.

Today at about 2.30pm Graham was discovered in Venus Hut by contractors who were working in the area.

Graham has been transported to Nelson Hospital where he has been reunited with his family.

This is an amazing result. We are so pleased for Graham and his loved ones.

Obviously he has been through quite an ordeal and everyone involved in the search is delighted to hear that Graham has been found alive.

Graham's family request privacy at this time.