Those who broke into Scott Weatherall's Nissan Terrano between 7.30am on Saturday and 4pm yesterday, took three bags of medical and water rescue gear.
Mr Weatherall, a St John paramedic, prime responder - a health professional who is on-call to provide rapid medical response in rural areas - surf life-saver and member of the Dunedin water rescue squad, had left the vehicle in South Rd, near the Southern Cemetery, while he went to Invercargill to cover as a surf lifesaver.
The loss of the equipment - a green St John bag containing medical equipment, including an oxygen cylinder and basic medicines; a bright blue bag containing, among other equipment, a distinctive Search and Rescue wetsuit, flippers, and a kayaking helmet and a hunting belt bag containing a GPS unit and other emergency equipment - meant Mr Weatherall was now effectively out of action until the gear was returned or he could find replacements.
The equipment was in his truck because he is usually on call 24/7 as a prime responder and water rescue squad member.
The water rescue gear was one of 15 sets bought with money the squad members fund-raised themselves.
The black wetsuits, with a bright yellow back bearing the letters SAR, were tailor-made to fit each squad member.
The wetsuit was distinctive and would not fit anyone else, so was of no use to them, Mr Weatherall said.
"If someone could let us know where it is, or would just drop the gear back off to the police station, that would be really good."
Fellow water squad member Brian Benn, who also heads the Dunedin police search and rescue squad, said the theft could conceivably cost somebody's life.
"It's a pretty low sort of theft. This gear is so specialised it's useless in somebody else's hands, but in ours it can save a life. We'd like it back."
