320 years of volunteering was marked recently when Southland Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) presented 14 of it's members with service certificates.

Among the recipients was 71 year old John Taylor who received his 40 year certificate.

Taylor recalls his first search as a 19 year old, back in the days before the establishment of LandSAR. A 3 year old girl had gone missing in Awarua Bay swamp and the Police had called for volunteers. Taylor joined his father in the search that lasted 2 days and 2 nights. The child eventually wandering out when she saw her father.

John Taylor with his trained border collie search dogs Wink and Rusty. Photo: Supplied

Taylor also trains search dogs, his first, a Weimaraner hunting dog, was just the second dog in the country to become fully Police certified.

Wink and Rusty are his current dogs and both are border collies.

Rusty, the older of the two has already proved his worth, successfully finding a missing person who had wandered off from Calvery Hospital.

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Also receiving her certificate (20 years) was Jolie Hazley.

Hazley's involvement in LandSAR started after listening to stories told by her father (who was also a search volunteer).

She subsequently joined her father in searches.

Some years later tragedy struck when her father went missing. It was only after the dedicated searching of LandSAR that his body was eventually recovered.

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Hazley said she enjoys the adventure and friendship, and using the skills she has to help people.

Figuring out what has happened and bringing the missing person home, no matter what the outcome, was always important.

Volunteers to receive their service certificates were:

• 40 year John Taylor, Ron McLeod, Graeme Appleby, Matt Keppel, Barry Smith 
• 30 year Steve Parry 
• 20 year Jolie Hazley, Bevan McNaughton
• 10years John Kennedy, Nathan Dawson, Chris Wech, Daniel Erickson, Dave Fenton, Colin Lawrence

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