Shame: Dark Sides of Land Search and Rescue Exposed

Fifty years later, and just 25km south of where Peter Neverman was lost, the failed search near Te Pohue for missing elderly Hawke’s Bay lady, Fiona Wills, must rank amongst one of the most poorly executed search operations in the recent history of Search and Rescue. Yet, once again, and 50 years on, NZ Police were prepared to publicly promote it as a “faultless search operation”. The analysis in this book reveals something disturbingly different about the search for Fiona Wills.

Subsequent to this was the unforgivable treatment of Hawke’s Bay Land Search and Rescue volunteer, John Montgomerie, a willing and dedicated participant in the search for Fiona Wills. Fighting to clear his name of nebulous and unsubstantiated allegations made against him in a police complaint later found to be baseless, cost him huge legal expenses and 18 months of upset and distress. He received no personal apologies from either NZ Police or LandSAR, who John Montgomerie had served so faithfully.

It is vitally important that these three wrongs are given due recognition. Furthermore, if the failings of present day operational search procedures are not openly recognised and immediately improved, more lives will be lost.