Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Sounds rescue trumps them all
Gusts of 70 knots, heavy rain, and in the depth of winter.
The conditions were hardly ideal when the coastguard team got the call that an old man had collapsed in the outer Marlborough Sounds.
Concerns the man had been stranded for days meant time was of the essence.
David St John, who has been with Coastguard Marlborough for six years, said the conditions on the night of the rescue were harsh.
‘‘It was blowing 50 knots steadily. It was heavy rain and gusting to 70 knots,’’ St John said.
‘‘The ambulance crew that went ashore had to hike up a really slippery muddy trek for quite some time to get to the house.
‘‘It was a treacherous trip back down, and one of our crew slipped off the balcony of the house and injured themselves.’’
It was also the first time the unit had used their state-of-the-art medical boat.
Despite the challenges, St John said the team and their new boat performed flawlessly, bagging them Coastguard Rescue of the Year.
‘‘We were able to get the patient on the boat, get him comfortable, and get him through to Picton. Then from Picton it was 30 minutes to Wairau Hospital where he received emergency medical surgery needed to save his life. So it was a pretty good outcome in some pretty tough conditions.’’
Coastguard Marlborough was recognised for their efforts that night at the recent Coastguard New Zealand Awards of Excellence. Their outstanding contribution to the community earned them four awards in total.
The team received Coastguard Rescue of the Year, Coastguard Unit of the Year, Coastguard Community Relations Activity of the Year, and Coastguard Volunteer of the Year for operations officer David St John.
But of the four awards, St John said it was the community relations award he was most chuffed about.
‘‘This is really sweet. This came about from us trying to come up with ways to engage the locals.
‘‘We suggested a one-day boating workshop with a class in the morning, then a free lunch, then an afternoon trip out on a boat.
‘‘Everyone who attends gets a certificate, and it’s really cool because it’s all free.
‘‘There’s no barrier to learning.’’
St John said while the criteria for the awards were rigorous, the recognition came from a team effort.
‘‘That’s why I think we won unit of the year as well.
‘‘We have a terrific team that supports each other, and who are dedicated to volunteering.’’
St John said they were constantly fundraising for the unit and on October 15 there would be an emergency services open day for families at the coastguard headquarters at Picton Marina.
‘‘We’ll have some boats on dis- play people can wander through ... We’ll have the bouncy Titanic for the kids, we’ll be cooking up sausages and have life ring throwing competitions.’’
For more information about upcoming coastguard events and workshops contact The Harbourmaster on 03 520 7400 or email harbours@marlborough.govt.nz.