MAKING WAVES Mid North Coast News
Hikers show heart to thank Forster-Tuncurry Grateful family praises crew for lengthy Easter rescue mission.
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arine Rescue ForsterTuncurry’s supporters showed a lot of heart to raise funds for the unit in an event held just days before the introduction of the public and MRNSW coronavirus restrictions. The Big Heart Hike is held each year in memory of local boater Henry Perram, whose life was saved by two quick-thinking unit members, Grant Maxwell and Milton Shaw, after he suffered a cardiac arrest while fishing with his son in 2013. More than 100 participants joined in this year’s 28km hike on March 14, raising $5,400. Thank you to Henry’s family for organising this event and donating all entry fees to the unit. Despite the pandemic restrictions, the unit Logged On more than 620
vessels and launched eight rescue missions in March and April. On Easter Monday, Forster 30 was deployed to rescue a runabout broken down 10nm north-east of Forster with four people, including a young child, on board. Skipper Ray Mazurek and crew Peter Jelfs, Gary Dickson and Richard Neal headed out, with communications support from radio operator Robyn O’Meara. The vessel was floundering with a disabled motor and the child was suffering from sea sickness. After a successful two-hour return journey to harbour, the relieved family expressed their gratitude: “A small message to say an enormous thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time and effort on Monday to tow us back
A sign of the socially distanced times outside the MR ForsterTuncurry base on the Forster breakwall.
to Forster boat harbour. We are so grateful for your assistance, keeping us safe and your kindness.” “The service you provide is an
outstanding example of community looking after community,” another Facebook comment read. Fran Breen
Volunteers maintain COVID vigilance New UC proud of members’ conduct.
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our newly qualified radio operators helped keep the MR Crowdy Harrington radio base operational amid the many changes to protocols and procedures throughout the COVID-19 shutdown. The new operators qualified at the start of the pandemic restrictions, undertaking their assessment at the unit’s training shed, rather than the base, to ensure compliance with all social distancing precautions. The unit’s boat crews have been unable to train on the water but have kept up the vessels’ maintenance, with a few minor repairs and other tasks completed. We have learnt how to hold meetings via Zoom, how to interact with members via phone and email and most importantly, the value of being in a small vulnerable community.
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We are extremely lucky to have had no cases of COVID-19 in our community and are doing the best we can to stay virus-free at our base, shed and aboard the vessels. Now that we are able to begin training again, we will maintain our vigilance. Thank you to the residents of Harrington and surrounds for doing the right things to keep us all safe during this crisis. I am proud of how our members have conducted themselves during this time. Late 2019 and 2020 have thrown a lot at us, with the loss of our Unit Commander Leon Elelman and radio operator Mike Hyland in recent weeks. Our wonderful volunteers look after each other extremely well, with quite a few extending that care to friends and neighbours as well. Cheryl Rowe
