Canterbury organisations committed to protecting vulnerable native birds nesting at the Ashley Rakahuri River have grave fears for their survival with Crate Day looming.

St John did not have a plan to deal with a terror attack and there was a clear breakdown in communication between police and paramedics in Christchurch on March 15, an inquest has heard.

All front-line police should be trained to enter a scene with an active armed offender, a US expert in counter-terrorism has told an inquest into the deadly attacks at two Christchurch mosques.

An elderly woman who was unable to get out of a pool at the retirement home she’d recently moved into was found floating face down several hours after going for a swim.

Crusaders legend Richie McCaw’s Instagram bio reads: “Husband, Father, Adventure Racer” and it appears the final title has got him into strife, landing him with a potential broken rib.

The St John staffer responsible for dispatching ambulances on the day of the Christchurch terror attack has apologised for mistakenly alerting police to an active shooter at the hospital's ED.