Agencies work well together

Hostile terrain, bad weather and limited communications made the recovery of two soldiers killed in a Unimog crash at Banks Peninsular difficult, but the Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) proved effective, says incident controller Senior Sergeant Stewart Munro.

The system, designed and implemented in 1997 (see separate story), provides the structure for efficient and effective management response.
Police were designated lead agency when Stewart, Sub Area Commander for Selwyn, received the call on 11 August that a Unimog had crashed. “The other organisations were there to support us. We had a good relationship with everyone and it worked very well.”

First reports said 15 people were involved, but it turned out three people had been in the vehicle when it slid off the side of Bossu Road and plummeted 200m down a steep bank into a gully. Two of the soldiers died and a third received substantial injuries.

Stewart says the initial police response involved officers from Akaroa, Lincoln, Highway Patrol and the Christchurch Forensic Photography unit. They joined fire officers, paramedics and a rescue helicopter at the crash scene.

“ They were very difficult conditions,” says Stewart. “The roads were sheer ice in some places and it was a very steep drop. The roads were so narrow two trucks couldn’t pass each other. Four Unimogs had to back down the windy road to a turn-around point – one of them for 2km.

Stewart says he was pleased with the recovery operation – especially the way police worked in with the other agencies. “All the police personnel were experienced staff which is beneficial in these situations.”

The Unimog had landed against a Totara tree. “It was a big job getting the bodies out. We got the one survivor to Christchurch Hospital but it was obvious we were not going to recover the bodies that day. We had to use ropes to get up and down from the site.”

The weather cleared the following day and the bodies were airlifted out by helicopter. DVI and specialist SAR teams were required.

Stewart says working with the Army eased the pressure for police. “They have all the protocols and welfare systems in place for informing families of death or serious injury. In this instance it was best to leave the Army to carry out this duty normally done by police.”

Intense media attention was also handled well by both police and the Army. “It was one of those times when everybody worked together.”