Every time Rotorua Coastguard gets called out, its volunteers give up their time.
When it happens during work hours they are giving up their wages, so this month the emergency service wants the public to donate one hour's wage to the Mayday Appeal.
The Coastguard attends around 25 callouts a year, most of them to Lake Rotorua, Lake Rotoiti and Lake Tarawera.
"Our volunteers give up a lot of their time and a lot during work time so they miss getting paid," Rotorua Coastguard president Richard Packham said. "We thought an hour's wage would be a good gesture."
As well as callouts, volunteers attend weekly training as well as operational meetings. They cover the district's 14 lakes and attend all manner of emergencies, from boats running out of fuel to overdue kayakers.