Search And Rescue Costs

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 1

Search And Rescue Costs

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 12

Search and rescue operations last year cost the Police Department about £6200 and the Department of Civil Aviation about £2OO, according to figures produced today.

A much greater proportion of the costs was absorbed by the Defence Department and other Government departments.

The police search director. Inspector L. D. Bridge, today denied a report in a weekly newspaper that the recent rescue of a Colombo

Plan student on Mount Ruapehu had cost the country up to £50,000.

It would probably have cost about £lOO, although there were some intangible costs — such as voluntary work—which could not be calculated. Mr Bridge said there had been 254 search and rescue operations during the last financial year. These had cost the police about £4600 and another 11 emergency operations srtch as using helicopters to rescue stranded motorists, had cost £l6OO. Government departments and many private organisations generally allowed their staff to take part in these operations without any loss in pay. This kept the costs down. There were very few claims against the police for i compensation for loss of pay.

“Almost 98 per cent of our support is voluntary," said Mr Bridge. “We rely a great deal on voluntary assistance from mountaineering and boating clubs and always will.” Costs began to soar when helicopters and other aircraft were called in.

“Helicopters cost £65 an hour and we have to use this! facility with discretion, al-! though we don’t hesitate to I use them if they will save! suffering or a life or a tremendous amount of manpower 1 otherwise necessary." Mr Bridge said New Zealand’s most expensive search I was for the yacht Argo which went missing in the Welling-, ton to Lyttelton race many years ago. More recently, the unsuccessful search for the; Dragonfly aircraft which went missing with four aboard I

in the Fiordland region had cost about £BOOO.