Taranaki Police, alongside marine rescue agencies, will take part in a marine search and rescue exercise on March 17 and 18.
The search and rescue exercise will take place between Port Taranaki and Cape Egmont.
Participating agencies include Police, New Plymouth Coastguard, Cape Egmont Sea Rescue Trust, South Taranaki Coastguard, Surf Lifesaving NZ, FENZ and LandSAR.
This is an opportunity for agencies to train together to work efficiently in an emergency situation in the marine and coastal environment.
The search area is well known for its strong winds and currents which will make this exercise particularly challenging.
Objects will be placed in the water, which will likely drift or come ashore for the search teams to locate during the exercise.
If a member of the public comes across one of these items, Police advise not to move it in order to make the scenario as realistic as possible for the searchers.
Taranaki Police should be contacted if any items are located after the exercise. The items will be clearly labelled.
By training in this area, we can build on our knowledge of the challenges and ways to problem-solve should there be the need to launch an actual SAR Operation in the future.
Police understand this is a popular area for recreational fishing and Police would like to remind everyone who takes to the water to familiarise themselves with New Zealand’s Boating Safety Code.
We would like to thank the community for their understanding while the exercise is in progress.
Police and marine rescue agencies are fully committed to ensuring the safety of our community and the safety of those who enjoy and work on our coast.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.