Million dollar search could have been spared for $30
Million dollar search could have been spared for $30
By Blair Jackson
An expensive 10-day search for missing trampers near Nelson could have been resolved much quicker if they had spent $30 and hired a locator beacon.
Southland Locator Beacon Charitable Trust chair John Munro said had rescued trampers Dion Reynolds and Jessica O'Connor had a beacon with them, and had set it off, he believed they would have been rescued within hours.
"...it [search and rescue operation] would have cost maybe $10,000 ...a beacon had the potential to save lives and secondly, taxpayer dollars," he said.
The Nelson Area Locator Beacon Charitable Trust operates in the area O'Connor and Reynolds departed from.
"They could have hired one. Thirty dollars for a week," Munro said.
Munro would like to see information for going into the forest and the use of beacons placed on inbound flights to New Zealand for visitors to read.
The trust was established in 1996 and its for-purchase or hire beacons have been involved in more than 600 rescues.
It was fantastic Reynolds and O'Connor were found, Munro said.
"My concern is that they have been praised for having the right equipment with them, and to a certain extent yes they did, but one of the essential items that they should always take with them is a personal locator beacon."
He estimated the ten-day search would have cost about $1million.
"They put so many people's lives at risk, during lockdown, which was a huge no-no.
"They should be held accountable for their wrong-doing, they should have been charged.
"Irresponsible. They put so many other people's lives at risk, for the cost of a $30 locator beacon," Munro said.
The search for a German man near the Hump Ridge Track in 1994 cost about $365,000, excluding the cost to the army, Munro said.
Munro said 95 per cent of the time, someone is saved within one hour of setting off a beacon.
And again, he stressed that the secondary point to saving lives, was saving millions of taxpayer dollars.