New Zealand’s search and rescue sector responded to more than 1870 land incidents this year, an increase of 28 per cent from 2021–22, and intervened in 137 situations where lives could have been lost.

These figures are detailed in the NZ Search and Rescue Council’s (SAR) annual report, which also states that no single factor can explain the increase in call-outs.

Senior advisor Tania Seward said: “There are a lot of smaller trends that we believe are having a cumulative impact, such as more hire outlets for distress beacons, e-bikes becoming more popular, the population getting older so more callouts for wanderers with cognitive impairments such as dementia, Great Walks selling out so people choose other tracks, and the rise of social media.

“There is no charge for SAR services in  New Zealand. We don’t want people hiding from us to avoid costs, as that often leads to a worse outcome. We prefer to educate people about the potential risks and that they take responsibility for themselves.”

She recommends two easy ways for people to keep safe and prevent the need for search and rescue callouts: become familiar with the Land Safety Code, and either hire or buy a personal locator beacon.

She said 90 per cent of land-based rescues that start with a beacon activation are completed within six hours.

“Without a beacon, 90 per cent are completed in 17 hours. Those extra 11 hours are a long time to wait when something has gone wrong.”