Latest fromSearch and Rescue

Runaway Rosco's rescue
Rosco the dog sparked a dramatic emergency operation when he decided to swim from Maungatapu to Matapihi.

Wanaka crash: 'Hundreds of variables'
It has been a "bad and very sad year already" for aviation in the south, the Civil Aviation Authority says.

Plane crash: 'Such a terrible tragedy'
Tributes are flowing in today for two of New Zealand's most experienced Cessna pilots who died in a horror crash that also claimed the lives of their two children.

Family of four killed in air crash
Four bodies - believed to be from the same family - were last night recovered from the wreckage of a light aircraft near Wanaka.

Bodies recovered from crashed plane
Police have recovered four bodies from a light plane that crashed near Wanaka.

Victim of 'bureaucratic malpractice'
The family of a man whose body was found in the Waikato River last week claim he was the victim of "medical and bureaucratic malpractice".

Missing German tramper found
A German tramper has been found following a search involving three ground teams yesterday.

Left behind on mountain
A climber rescued after he got stuck on Mt Taranaki overnight was left at the summit by his mates.

'We both went under the water'
A young English tourist is being praised for trying to save a Malaysian man who is believed drowned after jumping off the Tolaga Bay wharf on the East Coast.

Fly-fisherman rescued in Ruahine Ranges
A man who went fly-fishing and disappeared was rescued after activating a personal locator beacon.

Kayaker body found on beach
The body of a kayaker has been found on a beach near the mouth of the Waiau River, Tuatapere.

Jetboaters ignore pleas to help swimmer
A desperate plea by 15 bystanders for passing jetboats to rescue a 30-year-old struggling in the chilly waters of the Hokitika Gorge were ignored by the boaties.

Tourist rescued from West Coast cave
Twenty people have rescued an American tourist from a West Coast cave after the woman suffered a suspected broken leg yesterday.

German tramper feared missing
A search and rescue operation is underway near Queenstown after a German tourist failed to return a locator beacon by his "panic date".

Snorkeller missing off Northland beach
The family of a 25-year-old man who went missing while snorkelling in Northland this afternoon are scouring the beach for any sign of him.

Body found in hole named
A former West Coast gold miner whose body was discovered at the bottom of a deep hole yesterday had disappeared previously.

Missing tramper 'drowned'
A tramper who went missing in a remote and rugged part of the South Island is likely to have been swept away by strong currents before drowning in a gorge.

Missing tramper: Tracks found near river
Searchers looking for a tramper missing in rugged country in the South Island have found tracks leading to a river - but none coming out.

Ice theory for AirAsia crash dubious
The first official Indonesian report on the AirAsia crash says the accident was caused by "icing" that damaged the plane's engines - a finding experts immediately doubted.

More bad weather hits AirAisa search
A temporary break in poor weather yesterday failed to help the search for wreckage from AirAsia Flight QZ8501.

Climber's family brace for worst
The family of an Australian climber missing for four days on New Zealand's tallest mountain are coming to terms with fears he is probably dead.

Missing man presumed drowned
An intoxicated man who walked into the sea at a Christchurch beach fully clothed this morning is missing and presumed drowned.

'You don't think about your emotions'
Family tells how their holiday sightseeing trip turned into rescue operation after spotting stricken men in the water: "You just think about trying to find the next person."

Hopes fading fast as oil sighted in sea
An Indonesian official last night said objects had been spotted in the sea by a search plane hunting for the missing AirAsia jet.