Night vision gear for Coastguard
Waihi Beach Volunteer Coastguard added two new sets of night vision goggles to the equipment carried on board its vessel AVOCO Rescue, thanks to a donation from OceanaGold Waihi.
This technology now compliments the set already carried on board its main vessel Gallagher Rescue.
When called out at night the goggles will allow volunteer crew members to see up to 100m in total darkness while conducting searches out on the water.
“This new gear now means we can cover a larger area of water far more quickly and thoroughly than before, as our spotlights only penetrate out to about 10 or 20m,” says Waihi Beach Coastguard spokesperson Jim Pooley.
“Searching for a missing person at night is demanding on the crew, but thanks to OceanaGold we now have more tools to help us get on with our objective of saving lives at sea.”
Jim says the support of local businesses and local membership are crucial to the strength of Waihi Beach Coastguard and mean they remain well-placed to deal with any on-water incidents in the area.
Kit Wilson, community advisor for OceanaGold, says the company is pleased to be able to assist Waihi Beach Coastguard by funding the purchase.
“Many of our staff spend time on the harbour, and we know how easy it is for things to go wrong.
“Knowing that we have a trained and committed group like our local Coastguard who have access to the right gear, is always reassuring.”
In the last year Waihi Beach Volunteer Coastguard volunteers logged 7974 VHF radio calls, were called out 34 times and assisted 78 people safely back to land.