A Rotorua man found himself in the wild west flying about in helicopters and searching for missing people all in the name of water safety training.
Daniel Manzano recently returned from Texas where he was able to upskill in water safety training and in turn, upskill New Zealanders.
It was an experience like no other but through it, Manzano learnt New Zealand had a lot of improving to do.
"They have big hurricanes all the time so people they train are really well-prepared and well-equipped."
For more than 10 years Manzano has been volunteering for New Zealand Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) as a trainer in water safety.