For those who have been lost, alone and hurt or in a life-threatening situation, seeing help in the form of a search and rescue team is literally a life-saver.

A post-mortem is likely to be carried out tomorrow on a decomposed body found on a west Auckland beach, police said. The identity of the body, found at South Head on Friday, had not yet been confirmed.

The red and yellow cap worn by surf lifesavers has been a familiar sight on Australian beaches for more than 70 years.

Jo Knowsley investigates the truth behind this week's sensational story from Piha beach.

New images have emerged of the rip that a Piha surfing instructor took a group of teenagers into on Monday, sparking criticism from surf lifesavers at the west Auckland beach.

Stills from footage taken by a Piha local of 'extremely rough' conditions when a group of eight teens were taken into a rip by a surfing instructor.