Coastguard Nelson has taken three national honours at the 2026 Coastguard Volunteer Excellence Awards, including the top prize of Unit of the Year.
The awards were announced on Sunday following Saturday night's ceremony in Auckland. Coastguard Tautiaki Moana received 74 nominations across seven categories, with Nelson claiming three of the top awards.
Geoff Eban was named Crew Member of the Year, while unit President Annette Nistor received the Outstanding Leadership Award.
The recognition follows a demanding period for Nelson volunteers. According to Coastguard, the unit responded to 74 requests for assistance and 58 operational incidents during the nomination period. Seven lives were saved across three complex rescues, with another 126 people receiving assistance.
Nelson's operational area covers some of the more challenging waters in the upper South Island. French Pass, the approaches to D'Urville Island and the wider Tasman Bay area all present distinct navigational and sea state challenges. One incident recognised in the unit's nomination involved a fishing vessel grounding in French Pass.
Behind the rescue tally sits substantial preparation. Nelson volunteers completed 90 training sessions, accounting for 1,725 volunteer hours, and spent more than 870 hours at sea on operational work.
The unit has also introduced a digital communications platform, increased financial reserves, and broadened its membership base. Women now account for close to 30 per cent of volunteers, and the overall membership is becoming younger, according to Coastguard.
Project Tora is another element of Nelson's forward planning. The initiative is exploring how remote communities around Golden Bay and Tasman Bay could access faster, more localised rescue assistance.
Eban joined Coastguard Nelson in 2017 and contributes more than 200 volunteer hours annually to maintaining and upgrading the unit's rescue vessel. He helped introduce TimeZero search planning software and managed the rescue vessel build through to its commissioning in 2021.
During the recovery of the grounded 52-foot ketch *Vaila* in Te Puketea Bay, Eban provided technical advice from shore that helped the crew safely refloat the yacht before it was towed towards Adele Island.
Nistor's leadership award recognises her work developing volunteers and strengthening the unit. While serving as President, she progressed through Coastguard's operational qualifications to become a Master in 2026.
Her first deployment as skipper came during a medical emergency aboard a commercial fishing vessel off D'Urville Island. The crew was called out at 1am and completed a five-hour evacuation. She has also supported the Suddenly in Charge programme, which prepares people to take control of a vessel in unexpected circumstances.
Other winners included Coastguard Wellington, which received Rescue of the Year for a difficult medical evacuation near Cape Palliser on 20 May. A sailor aboard the yacht Boxing Kangaroo was suffering seizures when Wellington volunteers travelled into rough conditions to complete a vessel-to-vessel transfer in darkness. The patient was brought ashore for medical care.
On the West Coast, Zane Smith received Emerging Volunteer of the Year for helping rebuild the region's rescue capability after operations were paused. By March 2026, six volunteers had qualified as Rescue Watercraft Masters, restoring specialist response capability for the Grey River Bar.
Raglan's Brigid Green received Unit Support Volunteer of the Year for two decades of work including fundraising, financial management and boating safety education. Coastguard Auckland collected Community Engagement Unit of the Year after volunteers attended 44 events, connecting with approximately 3,500 people.
Learn more https://www.coastguard.nz/our-story/news-and-media/meet-the-volunteers-coastguard-tautiaki-moana-is-celebrating-this-year
