Search and Rescue work varies widely, from towing in broken down runabouts, pumping out capsized or swamped vessels, rescuing stranded boaties from remote beaches or islands to long distance air and water searches, many miles out to sea, with gruelling hours night and day.
Tauranga Coastguard operates two dedicated rescue vessels crewed by trained volunteers.
Training and exercising are continuous activities and involve formal training modules, as well as continuous competency testing.
Major searches are commissioned by the Police and may be coordinated with the Rescue Co-ordination Centre of New Zealand, known as RCCNZ.
Coastguard Air Patrol services also provide vital and rapid aerial spotting capability to reduce search time.