Funds aid Brighton coastal rescue response
by Sam Henderson · Otago Daily Times Online NewsA Dunedin coastal safety group has secured funding to boost emergency response along the city’s rugged southern shoreline.
The Brighton Surf Life Saving Club has received a $10,000 New Zealand Community Trust grant towards a new inflatable rescue boat (IRB).
Life member and volunteer lifeguard Scott Weatherall said the new craft would assist lifeguards on regular patrol and enable crews to conduct roaming patrols across beaches north and south of Brighton.
The new boat would cost about $15,000 and the club would sell an older IRB to bridge the gap, Mr Weatherall said.
The craft will strengthen patrol coverage and aid searches in treacherous waters such as Taieri Mouth.
The club plays a vital role along this coastal stretch, responding to incidents during patrols and through additional callouts.
"We have a strong team of 45 qualified surf lifeguards, ranging in age from 14 to their mid-60s.
"Our members come from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience, including school students, university students, nurses, paramedics, police officers, teachers and accountants."
Together, they represented the full spectrum of the community, he said.
The lifeguards provide coverage from Blackhead to Green Island and on to Taieri Mouth, a stretch Mr Weatherall called "a true recreational paradise".
"This region offers outstanding opportunities for fishing, diving, boating, swimming, kayaking and enjoying the beach and surf."
The new IRB would also support search and rescue callouts outside patrol hours, Mr Weatherall said.
"We are frequently called upon to assist about 20km south of Brighton at the Taieri Mouth River Bar, where recreational boating incidents, including vessel rollovers, often occur."
At this time of year, the lifeguards maintained their fitness in the pool, the gym and by running.
They also maintained their vessel skills on calm winter mornings.
A new group of volunteers would begin their IRB driver qualifications soon, he said.
"We have an IRB call out team that pulls from trained, experienced and qualified members from clubs across Otago," Mr Weatherall said.
"Brighton has four members who are a part of this team, meaning they are on call 24/7 and are asked to respond to calls throughout Otago as and when required."
There is public rescue equipment at Warrington, St Kilda, St Clair and Brighton beaches.
Mr Weatherall urged people to check the Safe Swim website before entering the water and to only swim or surf with a friend or responsible adult.
"If you spot anyone in trouble in the water, please call 111 and ask for the police," he said.
Brighton club captain Amelia Lane said IRBs were "massively important" in retaining and developing the club’s "incredible volunteers".
NZCT grants, marketing and communications general manager Ben Hodges said the trust was delighted to fund volunteers doing "vital rescue work".