Good season for our surf lifesavers
SURF LIFESAVING clubs such as Ruaka¯ka¯, Whanga¯rei Heads and Waipu¯.
FNSR was based at Ahipara but had to be ready to answer the call to incidents anywhere in that area.
“We have to be able to move quickly, often to quite remote places,” Walker said.
And it didn’t stop when the patrol season ended. Anzac Day saw club members tasked with hunting for three missing surfers along the Ahipara coastline, supported by police and a rescue helicopter. One was rescued and two later turned up under their own steam.
With smaller population centres and a dispersed community, maintaining patrol numbers had been challenging in the past, but the 2020-2021 season had gone well in terms of recruitment.
“We weren’t short on lifeguards or patrol support people; we had quite a few come through,” Walker said. “By season end we had 14 guards and four patrol support, as well as five IRB drivers, and 10 of the guards are going through IRB crew training. It was also great to see around 75 youngsters coming through the Junior Surf programme. They are our future.”
Other highlights included putting 25 volunteers through first-aid training, which was increasingly being called for on beaches and inland.
“A good example was our guards assisting a woman who’d fallen from her horse and had a suspected broken hip. We worked alongside St John to make her comfortable till she could be helicoptered to Whanga¯rei Hospital,” he said.
FNSR was also heavily involved in beach education for around 750 children, and again played an important role in the annual Nga¯ iTakoto 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza fishing contest, which once again brought 1000 anglers to 90 Mile Beach.
“A big part of what we do is to provide that beach safety support for big events like that,” he said.
The season was also notable for increased involvement with the other emergency services, including the police and Coastguard and St John.
Looking to next season, Walker said the club was already putting more lifeguards through training and arranging skills courses, planning extensions to the club building to accommodate increased members and guards, as well as working more closely with other Northern Region clubs to cater for the demands of the Far North.
“There’s huge value in gaining knowledge and experiences from the other clubs to share with our guards.”
Meantime, ongoing marine activity regardless of the season meant the club’s Emergency Callout Squad (ECOS) remained on standby day and night to respond to an incident around the coastline.
“Our advice to people who do go boating or swimming: if you or a friend get into trouble, call 111, if you can, and ask for the police.”
Positive outcome for patrols