A large-scale rescue response team turned out in minutes after what appeared to be an aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of Oamaru. 

After an hour of quick and widespread investigation, it turned out the alleged aircraft was actually a “fireball” falling from space, Senior Sergeant Iain Notman, of Dunedin, said. 

At 6pm on Sunday, a member of the public called police to report what they thought was an aircraft on fire crashing into the ocean near Kakanui, south of Oamaru. 

This kicked off “large scale, immediate, and extensive” inquiries. 

Footage was captured of the fireball streaking across the sky in Canterbury. Photo: Jas Mina / Fireballs Aotearoa

Dunedin Air Traffic Control, multiple Oamaru-based flight schools and commercial helicopter companies were contacted and said their aircraft were accounted for.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand and Maritime New Zealand had no activations, and Flight Radar showed no flights in the area. 

Southern police then co-ordinated with the national centre and discovered there had been multiple calls from Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin all describing a red ball of light falling with what looked to be smoke training behind, Snr Sgt Notman said. 

The consensus was that it was an atmospheric event down the east coast of New Zealand. 

Astronomer Dr Ian Griffin said it was most likely a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere. 

A red fireball was seen crashing into the water off the coast of the village of Kakanui near Oamaru. Photo: Hamish MacLean

“A fireball is a rock from space that’s burning up high over the Earth … the really bright fireballs are caused by slightly bigger rocks.” 

Dr Griffin said it was similar to a shooting star, but bigger. 

laine.priestley@odt.co.nz