Volunteers saving lives on the water Quarterly Journal of Marine Rescue NSW | Issue 42, Autumn 2020 SUMMER IN ASHES State’s bushfire crisis brings out our best THEN CAME THE RAIN Storms, flooding cause havoc on water KEEPING U SAFE First trial of new rescue tech PLUS: Lives lost & saved | Setting sail for Lord Howe | VHF safety choice CONTENTS Issue 42 | Autumn 2020 Quarterly Journal of Marine Rescue NSW Cover Image THE HELM Good Samaritan mission ... Ulladulla 20 arrives on the Bawley Point 2 • Commissioner’s report beachfront to resupply firefighters and evacuate five children who had sought 4 • Chair’s report refuge on the sand from the huge Currowan fire.Photo: Julie Langlois. ON THE RADAR 3 • Lives saved among summer coastal tragedies Publisher 5 • Win a VHF radio: make every journey safer Marine Rescue NSW • New Year marks new decade of operations 202 Nicholson Parade 6 • Committing ourselves to be #EachforEqual Cronulla NSW 2230 7 • Aussie-first trial of device to keep U SAFE Contact 9 • Full steam ahead for new Lord Howe unit Kate Woods • Get training and sign up for 2020 Games Phone: 02 8071 4848 11 • Three new staff have seen life on both sides Email: [email protected] 12 • Boat builder looks to international expansion • Added equipment to support crew safety Design and Layout 13 • Eyes up for joint offshore training exercise Nicole Brown • Nominate a selfless hero for Rotary awards Advertising 14 • Blue water staff take on Hobart challenge Graham Joss 15 • On the frontline of the big summer events Email: [email protected] THE SUMMER THAT WASN’T Phone: 0419 492 836 17-29 • A Special Report saluting the MRNSW family in fire & rain Printing MAKING WAVES Ligare Book Printers 32-34 Northern Rivers News Head office: 138-152 Bonds Road, Riverwood NSW 2210 • Evans Head • Cape Byron • Ballina Marine Rescue NSW is pleased to acknowledge the invaluable support of our • Point Danger • Wooli • Brunswick Soundings advertisers. 35-38 Mid North Coast News © Copyright Volunteer Marine Rescue New South Wales. Reproduction in • Trial Bay • Woolgoolga • Camden Haven whole or in part prohibited without permission of the publisher. • Forster-Tuncurry • Nambucca • Port Macquarie • Coffs Harbour Marine Rescue NSW encourages the use of Soundings articles on boating 39-43 Hunter/Central Coast News safety. Permission to use and supply of relevant images can be obtained • Tuggerah Lakes • Newcastle • Norah Head from the publisher. • Lake Macquarie • Container clean-up • Central Coast • Port Stephens 44-47 Greater Sydney News • Hawkesbury • Broken Bay • Terrey Hills • Middle Harbour • Cottage Point • Botany Port Hacking • Port Jackson 49-51 Illawarra News • Shoalhaven • Port Kembla • Kioloa MARINE RESCUE NSW • Ulladulla • Sussex Inlet • Jervis Bay Volunteers saving lives on the water 52-56 Monaro News • Narooma • Merimbula • Eden Volunteer Marine Rescue New South Wales • Moama • Bermagui • Tuross ABN 98 138 078 092 • Alpine Lakes PO Box 579 PICTURE GALLERY Cronulla NSW 2230 31, 57 • What we’ve been up to Phone: 02 8071 4848 Fax: 02 9969 5214 Email: [email protected] IN MEMORIAM, FEEDBACK 58-60 • Tributes to valued members & Who said what SOUNDINGS | MARINE RESCUE NSW 1 THE HELM Official business From the Commissioner Pride in our people’s response to bushfire crisis and emergencies on the water. his has been a hard, hard their activities for the peak season, will continue to schedule more T summer. The unprecedented increasing hours on the water and in to reach those we haven’t made bushfire crisis our State has faced our radio bases wherever possible. it to as yet. I want to express my has taken a terrible toll, tearing at Many lives have been saved but thanks and ensure each of you the heart of many communities our members also responded knows just how proud I am of your along our coastline and further professionally and compassionately selfless commitment to serving inland and leaving few of us in searches for lost boaters, our community. All our people untouched, no matter our proximity swimmers, kayakers and others on have stepped up and stepped to a firefront. the coastline and the Murray River. in - in countless ways, whether In our own field of operations, we The bushfires have added on high fire alert, delivering Rural have also witnessed the distress another dimension to these summer Fire Service frontline and public of families losing loved ones in operations. Few of our units have communications, tending to people Commissioner a number of tragedies on our not been impacted in some way, in evacuation centres, opening their Stacey Tannos ESM waterways at the end of 2019 and whether through direct involvement, unit doors to shelter those in need start of this year. frontline and community support or taking to the water in extended The coordinated response to or simply operating for weeks in search operations. These are just the extended bushfire emergency, low visibility under smoke. Some some of the many examples of first in the State’s north and more recently on the South Coast, has The response to traumatic events can be involved all our emergency services. delayed. Please reach out for support. I know every member will join me in applauding the remarkable efforts of our personnel do double duty, your sustained commitment and of our State’s firefighters, standing also serving as Rural Fire Service generosity of spirit. Again, I thank between towering, terrifying flames volunteers, and regrettably some everyone, both volunteers and and all that we hold most valuable. in our ranks have suffered the loss staff, for your contribution to an Marine Rescue NSW units have of or damage to their homes and extraordinary team effort. played a strong operational and properties. The prolonged bushfires have support role for months, while Deputy Commissioner Dean taken a toll on our communities simultaneously maintaining our own Storey and I have visited many and on individuals. Operations with core capabilities. Units ramped up units to thank our volunteers and a tragic outcome can be similarly stressful. The response to traumatic events can often be delayed. If you find you are struggling with your experience now or over the coming months, please reach out for support. During our visits to units, our volunteers’ resilience, grit and camaraderie have been on clear display. Your mates at the unit may be your best support but additional help is also available through our Critical Incident Support Service, which is provided by the RFS to all MRNSW volunteers. There is no shame in admitting you need help; to the contrary, it takes considerable courage, especially for men. You can contact the CISS team 24 hours a day on 1800 049 933. All information is treated confidentially. After the fires ... MR Batemans Bay members welcome Deputy Commissioner Dean Storey, Commissioner Stacey Tannos and Monaro Regional Director Glenn Felkin (right) to their Search and Rescue Stacey Tannos ESM Coordination Centre in late January. Commissioner 2 MARINE RESCUE NSW | SOUNDINGS ON THE RADAR Fatal season Lives saved among summer coastal tragedies Thanks to volunteers for sustained efforts, professionalism and compassion. arine Rescue NSW crews saw Mboth joy and tragedy on the water as 2019 gave way to 2020. The last days of the year saw crews deployed to searches for missing boaters and a jet ski rider, diver, kayaker and swimmer on the coastline and Murray River. None of these was found alive but many other lives were saved thanks to our volunteers’ sustained and committed response. From the start of December until the end of February, our crews launched 948 rescue missions, including 247 in response to life- endangering emergencies. Our radio Tamra Skalla on board Woolgoolga 30 scours the rocky shore of Groper Island for signs of two men who operators handled 66,648 calls went missing on a fishing trip from Coffs Harbour to Sawtell. and 19,595 vessels Logged On, including 5,439 via the App. searched over two days for a man Deputy Commissioner Dean who went missing while diving at Storey thanked all MRNSW Barraga Bay on December 27. A volunteers for their efforts. body was located the following day. “Unfortunately, many searches The crew of Moama 20 took ended in the saddest news for part in a cross-border operation to families who had hoped for very find a man, 23, who was last seen different outcomes,” he said. “As swimming across the Murray River always, our people responded at Tocumwal on December 29. A professionally and with compassion body was located on New Year’s in these difficult circumstances. Eve. “The bushfires and their A crew from MR Point Danger aftermath saw fewer boaters on was deployed to relieve Queensland the water in many areas. Our teams in a major sea and air members worked tirelessly to assist operation to find a missing Gold the fire response and support their Coast jet ski rider on December 30. communities, all while maintaining MR Tuggerah Lakes volunteers Victoria Police divers on board Moama 20 during the search for a their services to help keep those were on the water in rough missing swimmer at Tocumwal on the Murray River. boaters who were out safe.” conditions on New Year’s Eve with One Mid North Coast family - and police and NSW Maritime to find MR Woolgoolga, Wooli and Coffs resuscitated a woman found floating volunteers from MR Trial Bay - had three kayakers on Budgewoi Lake. Harbour were again activated when face down in Swansea Channel. reason to celebrate when a man Two were rescued but a 25-year- an Argentinian backpacker got into A coordinated operation was missing on a crabbing trip near old’s body was located off Budgewoi trouble in the surf on Mullaway mounted on February 15 for a man, South West Rocks was found alive on New Year’s Day and recovered by Beach on January 20.