Wellington VHF Group AREC was called in for Land SAR Operation Coffey in the Akatarawa Forest Park on Monday.
A number of AREC members from the region assisted and the search had a successful outcome at 5:30 pm on Monday evening, with the missing party being found found by a SAR team on foot.
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Comms were provided to about 50 searchers using an existing CD repeater and commercial trunk radio as the SAR repeater was held until needed. Gavin ZL2USS (a Land SAR volunteer) also used Climie 730 to contact the AREC staff at SAR base. As the search area was large we were not sure where the teams would be deployed overnight or on the second day. The search teams included Wellington Land SAR volunteers, Upper Hutt Community Rescue and Upper Hutt Rural Fire.
Thanks to all the AREC members that assisted and to Gavin ZL2ACT for providing access to the Branch 63 club rooms for an HF antenna and a tea room for the operation's head quarters.
AREC members active included Gavin ZL2ACT, Malcolm ZL2UDG, John ZL2UX, John ZL2HD, Rick ZL2TVY and co-ordinated by John ZL4JY