Coastguard Queenstown volunteers more than met their promise to save lives on the water with 67 people assisted in the eight months since July 2008.

Responding to 22 assistance calls and 7 Police initiated search and rescue events the 18 Professional Volunteers who make up Coastguard Queenstown have averaged 297 hours per person during this period.

Incidents responded to include

• Paraflight on the lake in difficulty
• Transporting Police to an incident at Walter Peak Station
• Searching for a intoxicated person believed to be gone swimming in the lake on New Years eve night
• Assisting for the search for people on the Kawarau River after an accident
• Called to assist a Kayaker in difficulty on the lake
• Called by Police to assist with a search for people missing on the Dart River
• Searching for girl suspected missing in Kawarau River
• Searching for a missing windsurfer

Training plays a big part in the Coastguard Queenstown volunteer hours, with 2,088 spent in training activities since July 2008.