Wellington VHF Group, Inc: Online.

There will be a Branch 74 AREC Section meeting to be held at the special interest group meeting slot on Thursday 4th October at the Tawa Community Centre commencing at 7.30pm. All members are welcome. The topic of the meeting in an update on AREC matters and discussion of a development programme for the Group’s AREC section.

- ZL4JY, Section Leader

The Annual General Meeting of New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Incorporated was held in Wellington on Saturday 29th September. The Minister of Police, Hon Annette King, opened meeting with Deputy Commissioner, Rob Pope, representing the Police.

Attending for AREC were Jeff Sayer, ZL4JS, AREC National Director and John Yaldwyn, ZL4JY, AREC Area 2 Manager.

A family tramping party headed in the Tauherenikau intending to stay overnight at either Cone or Tutuwai, to return Tuesday afternoon. After failing to return by next day and with a significant spike in the river flow the Westpac helo was tasked with one Police SAR Squad observer to search the area. The missing party were located just as the Westpac lifted off from Camp Kaitoke. With the Mt Climie SAR repeater temporarily off the air I sought permission from DoC to use their Cone ESB repeater as an alternative channel and made arrangements for programming SAR radios.

Wellington Land SAR held a Dog SAREX in the 12,000 acre Terawhiti Station behind Makara and out to the remote southeast coast of Wellington.

Attending were:

Brain Fearnley ZL2BRF
Dave Walker ZL2BHE
Rick Smith ZL2TVY
Tom Clarke ZL2TDD
John Yaldwyn ZL4JY

VHF operation was established on ESB58 using a Police portable repeater deployed by 4WD and an AREC Icom F110 base. VHF was used exclusively with teams and the Westpac helicopter on the same channel.

A man withy a medical condition was reported missing late afternoon from his home in Newlands. Police searched the house and all properties in the street.

After discussion Police and given the possibility of an urban search that evening or the next day I did a coverage check around Newlands on my way home to determine the most suitable VHF channel. The EE196 repeater at Wrights Hill provided excellent coverage and Rick ZL2TVY was asked to go on standby.

A friend of the family found the missing man without the need for search.

- ZL4JY, Section Leader

AREC have commenced a concentrated New Zealand wide training programme. The first AREC training day was held at Camp Kaitoke on Saturday 8 September with 52 attending from the lower half of the NI attending along with representatives from WLSAR and Police. The day was run by AREC National Training Officer Daniel ZL1DFA and organized by the Group's AREC section.