A once dormant Murchison Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) group is back on the map with 22 members ready to traverse terrain for the lost and injured or assist in operations.
Jessica Gibbs has resuscitated Murchison Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) since heading south from Kerikeri three years ago for the “mountains and rivers”.
She had previously served with the organisation’s Far North branch for 11 years.
For her leadership, and investing significant time and energy to restore Murchison’s search and rescue capability and improve mountain safety, plus her similar mahi in the Far North, she was recognised at the New Zealand Search and Rescue Awards at Parliament last week.
She collected the Certificate of Achievement in the Support Activity category.
“I was very surprised to be given the award, it was a very great honour,” she says.
“One of the other recipients said it really well in that any award that's given to an individual like this, it's really an acknowledgement of the team of people that they've got all around them and the people that they work with.
“I had a real personal interest in getting a group in Murchison back up and running… because although we're quite a small group, we can support groups in Reefton, Westport, Nelson and Motueka, and we're the closest group to the Nelson Lakes where there are a number of search and rescue incidents every year.”
At times it can be an uphill battle in sleepy areas to get volunteer organisations back on track, but Jessica says in her role as a group training officer, her “fun”, “interesting” and “inclusive” approach to training programmes, has kept Murchison members enthused and their skill sets maintained.
Outside LandSAR, Jessica teaches science and social studies at Murchison Area School.
