KEY POINTS:
A "guardian angel" whose familiar voice on coastal maritime radio has played a major role in Far North sea rescues for 15 years has all but signed off.
Illness has forced Maureen MacMillan of Coopers Beach to give up her voluntary regular routine as the voice of Far North Coastguard Radio.
Mrs MacMillan, with husband Malcolm, has operated the radio service from home since the early 90s when they gave up commercial fishing.
She used her detailed knowledge of the Far North coastline and radio operating skills to advise and help an armada of small boats, commercial, charter and recreational fishers, as well as co-ordinate rescue attempts.
"I loved every moment of it. I can still tell them what to do," Mrs MacMillan said at a gathering of fishing and emergency service representatives, family and friends to recognise her work.
"I still get calls from the police asking where to go. It's good to know I can still give advice."
Mrs MacMillan was presented with a special mayoral award by Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp in recognition of' extraordinary services to the district, saying: "People owe their lives to you."
Mrs MacMillan, 59, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year. She has also suffered two recent heart attacks and her voice is now very weak.
She recalls two tragedies she was involved in by radio, both involving the loss of fishing boats in Far North waters.
One, the Iron Maiden, sank near Pandora Bank southwest of Cape Reinga in August 2005 with the loss of its two crewmen.
The other involved the trawler San Manukau, which capsized off Doubtless Bay in the 1990s. One crew member drowned before the vessel was towed into the bay.
Mrs MacMillan was also on duty when another boat, the Viking 2, was stuck fast for several days on a rocky reef at the entrance to Mangonui Harbour in 2003.
"I'm sorry I can't do any more," she said. "But I still listen in during the week."
Written tributes to her efforts came from commercial and charter fishers, sport fishing and game fishing clubs.
Other tributes described her skills as respected by police search and rescue, maritime radio, helicopter pilots, Customs, shipping companies and recreational fishers.
Kaitaia police district's commander, Senior Sergeant Gordon Gunn, said Mrs MacMillan "would have everything sorted out" whenever search and rescue organisers called her to start a Far North sea area search.
"She was a brilliant help. We had lots of trust and confidence in her knowledge and ability to organise. That included searches for missing divers and lost dinghies," he said.
"She was a guardian angel and a link in communications for search and rescue even when an incident was on the opposite [west] coast."
Northland Fire Service volunteer support officer and local community board member Colin Kitchen described Mrs MacMillan as "a rare breed of volunteer" and the "queen of marine radio".
Other volunteers are now running the radio service.
