APRIL 2016
LIFE LINE The Newsle er of the Interna onal Mari me Rescue Federa on (IMRF)
News • Experience • Ideas • Informa on • Development In this issue: • The IMRF's HERO Awards • SAR in South Africa • News from Morocco, Finland, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Sri Lanka and the Mediterranean • And more!
The IMRF's HERO Awards Do you know a SAR hero? If you are involved in mari me search and rescue, of course you do. And you know too that SAR heroes come in all shapes and sizes – from the men and women out at sea, at the front line of saving lives, to those who support them ashore; coordinators, boat launchers, administrators, fundraisers, developers, and people working on innova ons that will keep rescuers safer, and casual es alive. There are heroes everywhere. The IMRF believes that such heroes should be acknowledged. We know that SAR people do not do what they do for awards; but awards are s ll important. We want to raise the profile of mari me SAR around the world, so that everyone from Government ministers to the man and woman on the street can see just how much it takes to set up and run a mari me SAR service. To this end, with the strong support of IMRF Associate Members McMurdo, the IMRF is ins tu ng its HERO Awards – Honouring Excellence in Rescue Opera ons. Our aim is to recognise and thank individuals and teams for courageous rescue missions, technical innova ons, development ini a ves and other outstanding services to mari me SAR, in keeping with the IMRF's mission to improve global SAR and help prevent loss of life at sea. The HERO Awards will honour equally acts of courage and of innova on and SAR development, drawing a en on to technical and intellectual excellence as well as the more visible acts of rescue. The 2016 Awards will recognise ac ons that took place, or were completed, in the period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. The closing date for nomina ons is 29 July. Any individual or organisa on anywhere in the world may be nominated. For full details on how to enter visit www.imr ero.org; write to The HERO Awards Coordinator, Interna onal Mari me Rescue Federa on, 50 Allardice Street, Stonehaven AB39 2RA, UK; email hero@imrf.org.uk; or telephone +44 (0)1569 767405. Let's get our heroes the recogni on they deserve!
The Interna onal Mari me Rescue Federa on is a registered company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom and registered as a charity in England and Wales Patron: E himios E. Mitropoulos KCMG, IMO Secretary General Emeritus Registered office: IMRF West Quay Road Poole BH15 1HZ United Kingdom • Company Registra on Number: 4852596 • Charity Registra on Number: 1100883 www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
APRIL 2016
LIFE LINE EDITORIAL
CONTENTS
Welcome to the latest issue of your newsle er.
IMRF secretariat expands to meet demand The IMRF Board in Cape Town Rescue off the Wild Coast African mari me SAR training pushes forward IMRF provides lifejackets to Bangladesh fishermen Sri Lankan Lifeboat Ins tu on receive a mely boost IAMSAR Manual – new edi on on sale soon Drowning Finnish Lifeboat Ins tu on goes to sea We need a rescue boat Interna onal rescue effort con nues in the Aegean MOAS in South East Asia Member Focus – ADES Venezuela And finally
Once again we have many interes ng things to report, and I hope you will enjoy reading about them all. I would just like to highlight a few items here – and there's a piece of exci ng late news too. Let's have that first. We are delighted to say, as LIFE LINE goes to press, that the IMRF Board have agreed to accept a very kind invita on from our good friends in western Canada, IMRF members Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR), to hold our next World Mari me Rescue Congress and Quadrennial General Mee ng in Vancouver, in the northern summer of 2019. Precise dates and venues will be announced in due course. Vancouver is well-placed for our global membership, with excellent interna onal transport links. We look forward to seeing you there – and if 2019 sounds a long way off, remember that it's actually li le more than three years away; and me flies!
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DATES FOR THE DIARY photo courtesy Tourism Vancouver
While the Congress is our biggest event each quadrennium, the IMRF has also developed a proud reputa on for its other conferences and workshops. Many readers will be aware of our Gothenburg series of mass rescue conferences, for example. However, organising interna onal conferences is a lot of work for a small team, so it has been decided that, in future, we will aim to hold a major conference mid-term in each four-year cycle. With Congress, that means a major IMRF event every second year: the next one will be in 2017. We will announce details soon. Watch out for them on the website and in LIFE LINE. This year, among other events we will be par cipa ng in, we will run a mass rescue workshop at the ISAR conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July. For further details please contact info@imrf.org.uk. Other highlights? Well: our new colleagues on the secretariat are big – and very welcome! – news to some of us, at least: see page 3. The soon-to-be-published 2016 edi on of the IAMSAR Manual is important to everyone in SAR – and the discounts available to members using our online bookshop are good news too! See pages 8-9. But the HERO Awards, announced on page 1, will, we trust, be great news for you all. Let me encourage you to join in. For in SAR we all know heroes! Dave Jardine-Smith news@imrf.org.uk
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Focus on Mari me Safety 2016
25 April 2016 Helsinki, Finland see www.konferenssit.fi/180
Australian & New Zealand Disaster, Emergency
Management & SAR Conferences 30 May - 1 June 2016 Jupiters Gold Coast, Australia see anzdmc.com.au and sar.anzdmc.com.au
Ferry Safety & Technology Conference
2-3 June 2016 New York City, USA see ferrysafetyconference.squarespace.com
SAR Europe Conference, plus Arc c rescue & survival training workshops
7-8 & 9 June 2016 Copenhagen, Denmark see searchandrescueeurope.com
Seawork Interna onal Exhibi on & Conference
14-16 June 2016 Southampton, UK see www.seawork.com
Mari me SAR Conference
21-22 June 2016 Helsinki, Finland see mari me-sar.com
ISAR 5th Interna onal SAR Conference
19-21 July 2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia see globalsar.com.my
IMRF Crew Exchange 2016
24 September - 1 October 2016 for more informa on email info@imrf.org.uk
ICE-SAR Rescue 2016
14-16 October 2016 Reykjavik, Iceland see rescue.is/conference
If you are planning a SAR event of interna onal interest which you would like to see listed here, please send the details to news@imrf.org.uk page 2
LIFE LINE IMRF Secretariat expands to meet demand As our Chief Execu ve, Bruce Reid, noted in the February edi on of LIFE LINE – which you can download from the newsle er archive at www.interna onal-mari merescue.org – the IMRF secretariat (a small team servicing a very large organisa on!) has been under considerable pressure of late, and, as the IMRF's reputa on spreads, there is no sign that that pressure will decrease. “The key focus now,” says Bruce, “is to get the structure and support right and the funding aligned.” That work is progressing, most obviously with the recruitment of two new members to the IMRF's UK-based team. We are delighted to welcome Caroline Jupe, who will be leading on our fundraising from now on, and Rebecca Jeffries, who joins the administra on team in Stonehaven. Caroline has worked in the UK charity sector for nine years. In that me she has predominantly worked as a fundraiser, at Ac on on Hearing Loss and the Bri sh Heart Founda on. She has also spent me working at CRI, a drug and alcohol charity, as a project worker.
As the IMRF's new Fundraising Manager, Caroline will be working on developing our fundraising func ons across the board – an essen al ac vity, of course, as our work con nues to develop and expand. If you would like to get in touch with her about a fundraising opportunity or idea or if you are interested in working together on a fundraising project or would like to get involved with fundraising for the IMRF, then please contact Caroline at c.jupe@imrf.org.uk. “I'm looking forward very much to hearing from, and working with, IMRF members,” she says. Rebecca Jeffries has worked in the shipping and mari me SAR industries since 2001. A former officer of the watch with P&O Princess Cruises, and a watch officer with HM Coastguard – the UK's mari me SAR coordinators – she has also been a crew member and trainee helm with the Royal Na onal Lifeboat Ins tu on (RNLI) in Stonehaven since 2013. Most recently she has been employed as business administrator with the Marine Training Academy in Stonehaven. Joining the IMRF team as an Execu ve Officer, Rebecca will be able to apply her skills across a wide range of our ac vi es. “To be able to join the IMRF is such an incredible opportunity,” she says, “And the job has all the elements of search and rescue that I want to be involved with
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APRIL 2016 professionally and to help develop further.” “It's excellent to have two such experienced and enthusias c people join the team,” says Bruce Reid. “There's a very great deal for the IMRF to do, and of course we need high-quality people to help us do it. I should point out, though, that our funding situa on means that many of our staff work part- me. Including our exis ng team – Wendy Webster, our IT Management & Digital Crea ve Officer; Jill Greenlees, our Financial Controller; and David Jardine-Smith, who leads for us on technical ma ers at the IMO and on our mass rescue opera ons project – we will s ll only have 4.75 full- me equivalent staff. We s ll need to build, to be able to handle the increasing demand – but we're ge ng there!” As noted briefly in the February edi on of LIFE LINE, there have been changes recently in the IMRF's Asia-Pacific Regional Centre in Shanghai too. Joining IMRF Trustee Zhang Rongjun at the APRC (see www.imrf.asia) in place of our old friends Gu Yiming and Qiu Jing are Execu ve Officers Qin Huapu and Zeng Haowei. Qin Huapu graduated from Shanghai Interna onal Studies University in 2009. She started her career as a Foreign Affairs secretary in the Donghai Rescue Bureau of China Rescue and Salvage. From 2012 to 2013, Huapu furthered her educa on in Mari me Safety and Environment Administra on at the World Mari me University in Sweden, and obtained her master's degree in science there. A er he graduated from the University of Manchester in 2012, Zeng Haowei returned to his homeland and started his career in China Ocean Engineering Shanghai Company (a salvage company based in Shanghai). Haowei was seconded to the APRC in November 2015.
Finally, and although not formally a member of staff, the APRC has also been boosted by the appointment in late February of Mr Axel Barktus as a special consultant. Axel has worked in China for over 15 years, and now is the president of Messe Dusseldorf (Shanghai), a subsidiary of Messe Dusseldorf GmbH, one of the world's leading exhibi on organizers and an IMRF Associate Member. His responsibili es as special consultant will be to provide advice on member recruitment, brand promo on and fundraising, and to represent the APRC at relevant interna onal mee ngs and ac vi es in the region. Axel is seen here receiving his cer ficate of appointment from Zhang Rongjun. Welcome aboard, everybody! Now: on with the work…
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LIFE LINE The IMRF Board in Cape Town
APRIL 2016
The IMRF's Board of Trustees meets twice a year in its capacity as a board of directors to oversee the charity's ac ons and assess our progress against our agreed strategies. When possible, the Board aligns its mee ngs with a SAR event in the host country which, in March, was South Africa. “These events have two overall aims,” says Bruce Reid, IMRF's CEO: “To enable the IMRF to gain a be er understanding of what is going on in SAR around the world; and to pass on to our local colleagues some of the things the IMRF is involved with interna onally.” According to the World Health Organiza on (WHO), the great majority of global drownings occur in Africa and Asia, so it is in these regions that the IMRF is par cularly keen to focus its work. “And the key to SAR success is coopera on,” says Bruce: “Locally, na onally and interna onally.” The IMRF will help wherever it can. On this occasion the Board par cipated in a very interes ng seminar in Cape Town with colleagues from the South African SAR services, hearing presenta ons from IMRF Members the Na onal Sea Rescue Ins tute (NSRI), Lifesaving South Africa, MRCC Cape Town (who kindly hosted the second day), the Mari me Safety Authority of South Africa (SAMSA), and the South African Defence Force. Board and IMRF secretariat members also gave talks on a range of current topics in interna onal SAR. Mark Hughes, NSRI's Opera ons Director, gave a presenta on on NSRI (see www.nsri.org.za) and the idea of spreading the volunteer model to other parts of the African con nent. The ques on of SAR assistance from shipping was also discussed. South Africa has a huge mari me SAR region, most of it beyond the range of its shorebased SAR facili es. The coordinated assistance of passing ships is an essen al component. (See 'Rescue off the Wild Coast', below.) IMRF Trustees Dean Lawrence, of Coastguard New Zealand, and Jorge Diena, of ADES Uruguay, spoke respec vely on 'Nowcas ng' – using automa c solarpowered weather sta ons broadcas ng current condi ons and forecasts to help water users plan their voyages – and volunteer SAR in South America. Some volunteers, said Jorge, “Lack everything but passion.” Accident preven on is also a key task, however: “Intellectuals solve problems, but geniuses prevent them”. NSRI's Bre Ayres gave a very interes ng talk on 'not repea ng error' – learning lessons from experience, and applying those lessons. IMRF Chairman Udo Fox gave a brief presenta on on his own organisa on, the German Mari me SAR Service, then summarised the IMRF's coordinated work under its 'Members Assis ng Members' scheme in response to the migrant crisis in the Aegean Sea (see www.interna onal-mari merescue.org/homemigrant). The President of Lifesaving South Africa, Dylan Tommy, talked about his organisa on's
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Members of the IMRF Board & Secretariat with Cleeve Robertson (NSRI), Jared Blows (MRCC Cape Town), and Dylan Tommy (Life Saving South Africa)
h i s t o r y, a ffi l i a o n s a n d c u r r e n t s e t - u p : s e e h p://lifesaving.co.za/. Dylan spoke of the sport of lifeguarding as well as its emergency response role, and noted his organisa on's contacts with similar regional groups. IMRF Trustee James Vaughan, Interna onal Director of the UK & Ireland's Royal Na onal Lifeboat Ins tu on, began the seminar's second day with a presenta on on the 'silent epidemic', based on the WHO's report that some 372,000 people drown each year. James noted that 90% of the total die in poorer countries, par cularly in Africa and Asia; and o en far inland, beyond the scope of mari me SAR. We need to work with other sectors if we are to make a real impact on these numbers. Jared Blows, head of MRCC Cape Town – the regional mari me rescue coordina on centre for the Southern Africa region – explained the role of SAMSA within South Africa's SAR arrangements. Regional challenges include priori sa on, and hence funding; technical skills (including use of the English language); infrastructure development, ar sanal fishing and (in the northern Mozambique Channel) a con nuing threat of piracy. However, there is con nuing willingness to improve, especially at the lead agency level, with IMO and donor countries and ins tu ons s ll ac vely involved. There is good bilateral coopera on too as regards remote area SAR, par cularly in the Southern Ocean. Colonel C R Opperman of the Department of Defence, Joint Opera ons (whose remit includes SAR and disaster management planning), spoke about the South African Defence Force's SAR capabili es. IMRF Trustee Zhang Rongjun explained the mari me safety situa on and preparedness for mass rescue opera ons in the Asia-Pacific region, including the work of the IMRF's Asia-Pacific Regional Centre. David Jardine-Smith of the IMRF's secretariat talked about the IMRF's mass rescue opera ons project, emphasising the benefits of planning and training for such opera ons as well as appraising the results of relevant incidents and exercises. (See w w w . i n t e r n a o n a l - m a r i m e rescue.org/homemropublic.) IMRF Trustee Ma hew Fader, of the Swedish Sea Rescue Society, spoke of his and the SSRS's experiences in mixed migrant rescue in the Mediterranean; and Jared Blows told
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LIFE LINE the seminar about two SAMSA projects – an inland waterways safety programme and an ongoing trial of Class B AIS transponders in ar sanal fishing vessels. Cleeve Robertson of N S R I spoke about medevacs from commercial vessels, of which the NSRI conduct about 70 a year by boat. The seminar closed with a presenta on by David Jardine-Smith and Bruce Reid on the IMRF's work at, and with, the Interna onal Mari me Organiza on (IMO), on SAR development and technical coopera on issues. For a full report of the Cape Town seminar, and copies of the presenta ons given there, please visit h p://www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org/imrfmari me-sar-seminar-cape-town-13-14-march-2016.
A rescue off the Wild Coast Andrew Ingram of South Africa's Na onal Sea Rescue Ins tute writes: If you had walked past the table around which the seven of us were si ng, the chances are that you would not have given us a second glance. But if you had stopped you would have heard Hervé Lepage, master of the 277-metre Frenchregistered container carrier CMA CGM Rossini, and the ships' chief engineer, Lyes Lassel, tell the harrowing story of their search for Jean Sitruk, 65, and Kyle Castelyn, 20, a er their capsized catamaran Llama Lo was found 50 miles off the Wild Coast, on South Africa's southeastern shores. Looking up, I see the Table Bay Sea Rescue base behind Captain Lepage. Night is falling. The rescue boat Spirit of Vodacom is lit up inside the base, a fi ng backdrop to a story of excep onal seamanship and determina on. I look at Kyle, si ng across the table from me. A rake-thin young man with long blond hair and moustache, he sits ramrod straight in his chair. His brown eyes are focused, unblinking, on Captain Lepage. I think of the first me I saw him, walking off Spirit of Vodacom. It was mid-October 2015. He had a smile from ear to ear as he walked up to his mother. She threw her arms around him and pulled him towards her. Jean Sitruk, skipper of the Llama Lo, stood on the rescue boat, tears streaming down his face as he watched. Only a couple of days before, as the two men ba led for survival in the yacht's ny tender, Jean had thought they would die. “We were nearer death than life,” Jean says. “I hoped to live for my family. But especially for Kyle.” Jean, from Lyon, France, and his crewman Kyle, from Strand, Cape Town, were on passage from the Maldives. The yacht was on autopilot, making 12-13 knots in rough seas. Both men were down below when, with a loud bang, the yacht momentarily stopped and then swung hard to port. Rushing up on deck Kyle saw a whale on their port side. Water was flooding into the hull through a 70 cm hole. The boat was going to capsize. With a hole that big there was nothing that the two sailors could do to prevent it. Kyle threw the lifera overboard, then dashed below to
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APRIL 2016 grab emergency supplies, and Jean grabbed the Emergency Posi on Indica ng Radio Beacon (EPIRB). Kyle transmi ed the VHF call that every seafarer dreads: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is the yacht Llama Lo…” The catamaran was lis ng heavily to port as the two men came back on deck, only to see that the lifera was floa ng more than 200 metres away. Their only chance now was a small inflatable boat, the yacht's tender. Kyle tried to start the tender to go to the lifera but the engine wouldn't fire. They pushed away from the yacht and watched as she slowly rolled over. It was just a er 6pm. As darkness descended on the Indian Ocean the two men dri ed away from the capsized catamaran and switched their EPIRB on. Sea condi ons were deteriora ng. A wind of 50 knots was ba ering the two men as the Mari me Rescue Coordina on Centre at Gris Nez, far away on the north coast of France, received their emergency beacon signal. Gris Nez alerted the South African MRCC, and a huge rescue effort began. Five ships in the area were diverted to the posi on; and the East London Sea Rescue volunteers and a military Oryx helicopter launched in the morning. Through the night Kyle and Jean took turns to paddle the li le rubber boat, trying to keep her head into the sea. Huge 6 to 7 metre swells, some mes crumbling at the top, threatened to turn them over. In the distance they could see the lights of the ships looking for them. Kyle ignited a handheld flare without response, and they decided to keep the remaining flares un l the ships were closer. As the sun rose on a seemingly empty ocean, a wave, bigger than the rest, flipped the li le boat, dumping the men into the sea. Kyle had tethered his rucksack to the dinghy and as soon as they had scrambled onto the upturned hull he pulled it up. Inside was six days' supply of fresh water. The gear not ed to the boat, including their flares, was gone. “I saw my packet of Future Life Cereal floa ng past and grabbed it so at least we would have that to eat,” says Kyle. Two hours later another wave flipped the tender again, and the men scrambled back into the boat. On the horizon they could see ships. But by now they had dri ed far from Llama Lo, and the first ships to arrive at the wreck reported that there was no sign of life aboard. Soon a er that the empty lifera was found. Nearing the search area was the huge French container carrier CMA CGM Rossini. At sunrise the duty officer called Captain Lepage to the bridge. The ship had been alerted by the French MRCC to the distress signal. By a strange twist of fate the Captain had done his military service at Gris Nez in 1988, and he is also a volunteer with the French Sea Rescue Service, SNSM, in his home town of La Rochelle. “At 12h15 we called Port Elizabeth Radio and told them that we were ge ng close to the posi on,” says Hervé. He knew that there were already five ships in the area. One had found the capsized cat, another the empty lifera . But none had followed the EPIRB posi on which was dri ing down the coast. “I contacted my company and the MRCC and suggested that we chase the EPIRB.”
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APRIL 2016
LIFE LINE At 16h15 the Rossini glided up alongside the wreck. “It was close to my starboard bow and we gave a blast on the horn thinking that they might be inside. There was no response. No sign.” Hervé gave the order to increase power, and considered the EPIRB posi ons. Although there was a two-hour me delay, they formed a straight line, dri ing away from the lifera . “We had six pairs of binoculars on the bridge,” says Hervé, “So I called six men up and divided the area to search into sectors. Each man must concentrate only on his sector.” Then came the skew ball. The MRCC gave the next EPIRB posi on away off to the le of where it should be. With darkness approaching this required calm thinking and some careful calcula ons. Captain Lepage gave the order to turn to port. Although he believed that the posi on was wrong, he had worked out that they would have enough me to check and then, if need be, to loop around and sail back up the dri line that they had been searching. It was a call that needed to be made by ins nct. At 17h50 he gave the command: “Turn to starboard now.” The Rossini's bow came around and Hervé lined her up on track in the opposite direc on, before the wild goose chase off the dri line. “The picture that was in my mind was of them in the water with immersion suits on, the EPIRB in their hands.” He called for an increase of speed, knowing that if they did not find the two yachtsmen before dark their chances of survival would not be good. “There.” The call was from the Chief Engineer, Lyes Lassel, who was scanning a sector to port. He had seen a single flash of orange. Binoculars swung and, clearly now, the men on the bridge saw two orange specks – the collars of the life jackets that Kyle and Jean were wearing. The great ship slowed down and turned towards them. Kyle and Jean had been watching the container carrier for a couple of hours, slowly paddling towards it. “And then they gave three blasts on their horn,” said Kyle, “And then we knew …” His voice trails off and he looks down at the floor. It was 15 minutes before sunset. And one of the biggest challenges for Captain Lepage and his crew lay ahead: how to get the huge ship alongside the ny rubber boat and then get the two men up the steel wall of the ship's side? “I used the wind and the currents,” says Hervé. With great skill he sailed the Rossini up to the li le yacht tender, leaving Kyle and Jean only a few metres to paddle to the side of the ship. Despite his exhaus on, youth was on Kyle's side. He was up the ship's ladder in a flash. But Jean, knowing now that Kyle was safe, had no energy le . As he started the 9 metre climb up the rope ladder his hands slipped and he crashed into the sea, losing his lifejacket. The Chief Officer, Sadi Resdedant, rushed out onto the ladder to help, dropping a helicopter strop on a rope and
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CMA CGM Rossini at Cape Town: Ian Shiffman, Ports & Ships Mari me News
shou ng encouragement to the exhausted sailor. Against the odds, the Rossini's crew managed to get the elderly skipper on board. “I thought that we would lose him,” says Hervé. “But we did not.”
African mari me SAR training pushes forward The development by the IMRF and our partners of mari me SAR management, organisa on and coordina on in Rescue Coordina on Centres across the north and west of Africa con nues to advance, with the most recent training for On Scene Coordinators completed in late March in Agadir, Morocco. 22 trainees from 16 countries a ended the course delivered by John A. Carey, Director of Personnel Recovery for the United States Navy's Commander Naval Forces Europe/Africa and Commander 6th Fleet. Mr Carey provided an advanced OSC course as many of the trainees had a ended the base OSC course delivered at the end of 2015. Regional Coordinator and IMRF Trustee Mohammed Drissi is quick to stress the importance of the training delivered over the past three years in partnership with the IMO's Technical Coopera on Directorate and the IMRF. Over 160 people from 16 countries have a ended these courses since the end of 2014. “We have managed to build momentum by arranging regular training and regional mee ngs,” says Mohammed. “There is now a pool of well trained SAR coordinators and managers in the majority of the countries' RCCs across the region. The goal has always been to help each of the countries develop their own RCC capability so less me is lost and more lives can be saved when accidents occur at sea. We have now developed trainers within the region so we are less reliant on external trainers.” This year these new trainers from Morocco will be working with up to 80 SAR coordinators at MRCCs in Cape Verde, Senegal and Mauritania, with a course for Francophone countries in the wider region delivered in French. The challenge now is to find ways of con nuing to fund this ini a ve as there is a reducing amount of support available through the IMO's Technical Coopera on Commi ee.
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LIFE LINE
APRIL 2016 Jennifer Lewis, the Founda on's Director, says: “We sent an email to the IMRF to see what type of help could be provided. What resulted was an amazing collabora on between chari es, government organisa ons and commercial suppliers.”
Mohammed Drissi and John Carey with the OSC course a endees
“The IMRF became involved with this regional ini a ve as we iden fied that, without centralised coordina on of mari me SAR through the RCC, it is a challenge to iden fy how best to assist the development of rescue services along these coasts,” says IMRF CEO Bruce Reid. “There is now a demonstrated value in this programme so we hope we can find funding to con nue to advance the SAR development. For many of the countries involved, funding mari me SAR development is not a priority. We need to encourage these countries to support future development. Un l that me we need to find support to advance this ini a ve and to help complete the Global SAR Plan.” If you would like more informa on or could assist in funding future SAR training ini a ves in Africa please contact Caroline Jupe, I M R F 's Fundraising Manager, at c.jupe@imrf.org.uk.
IMRF provides lifejackets to Bangladesh fishermen One thousand lifejackets have been donated to Bangladesh fishermen following work done by the IMRF's Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (APRC). The ini a ve began with an approach to the IMRF from the Tropical Dolphin Research Founda on. A severe tropical storm in September 2015 capsized many fishing boats, with considerable loss of life. Mr Mahmud Rahman, a dolphin ecologist with the Founda on, had been working with fishermen in the region to help him understand more about the marine life offshore. He understood the impact that lifejackets could have had in the storm, and decided to find out what could be done for the villages hardest hit.
Along with IMRF member organisa on Shanghai Sun Glory Marine Co Ltd and the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the APRC team arranged for 1000 lifejackets to be delivered to the Bangladesh Navy ships Pro oy and Shandhinota, then docked in the Chinese city of Qidong, Jiangsu Province. The Navy very kindly transported the lifejackets to Bangladesh, where their distribu on was coordinated by the Coast Guard. It was agreed that the lifejackets would be shared across the south east, south and south west coastal areas, with the Coast Guard distribu ng 300 in Moheshkhali, Shahpuri and Kutubdia, and another 300 in Pathorghata. Mr Rahman was instrumental in managing the distribu on of the remaining 400 from the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Ins tute at Bagarhat. A small ceremony was held, a ended by 45 local fishermen, and 21 boats were provided with 14 jackets each. Vessel checks will be made by local Coast Guard officers to ensure the jackets are maintained on the vessels. “This is a great example of coopera on between chari es, a commercial company and the military to provide real support for the fishermen of Bangladesh,” says Bruce Reid, IMRF CEO. “The country has one of the highest rates of drowning in the world and their fishermen risk their lives on a daily basis. “We hope to be able to offer more support in the future.” “We realize that it may seem a leap from protec ng dolphins,” adds Dr Lewis, “But to us conserva on also involves protec ng humans that share this environment with the dolphins. Doing this, we then have a be er chance to preserve all of the nature we love.” The IMRF APRC is looking at other possible ways in which assistance that could be provided to help improve the safety of fishermen. “It is es mated that 25,000 ar sanal fishermen die every year around the world so we have a responsibility to help find solu ons to this challenge”, says Bruce. “This exercise has highlighted that with the right approach, the right people and a common goal much can be achieved. We like to think that safe fishermen make great grandparents, so even one life saved makes a huge difference.”
Sri Lankan Lifeboat Ins tu on receives a mely boost Former IMRF Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the IMRF's Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (APRC) Michael Vlasto has a ended the commissioning ceremony for the rescue boat presented to the Sri Lankan Lifeboat Ins tu on (SLLI), as featured in the December 2015 Life Line.
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LIFE LINE governor of the SLLI.
The ini al ela on was short-lived because paying for the transporta on of the boat from the UK to Sri Lanka was too costly. But last year the idea was revived when COSCO agreed to transport the 25 tonne vessel to Colombo free of charge. Puffin XII when she was the RNLI's Moelfre Lifeboat; and in her new Sri Lankan home.
The APRC helped facilitate the provision of the boat with the help of the UK and Ireland's Royal Na onal Lifeboat Ins tu on (RNLI) and the Chinese shipping company, COSCO. The dona on from COSCO is evidence of the growing influence and ac vity in the region by the APRC team who are helping develop mari me SAR capability and provide be er support for exis ng and developing S A R organisa ons. APRC Chairman Captain Song Jiahui, working with Michael Vlasto, ini ated the support from COSCO, and they provided the final link in the chain. The boat – now named Puffin XII – was transported free of charge from Felixstowe to Colombo a er IMRF discussions with COSCO's group Chairman Mr Ma Zehua. The SLLI has been keen for a number of years to introduce a volunteer service and the introduc on of Puffin XII is seen as a major step forward. Speaking to local media about his experiences with the RNLI and as IMRF Chairman, Michael said: “I am delighted to be here for the launch of this dedicated rescue vessel which has been the culmina on of 15 years hard work by a good number of people, all of whom will be excited to see the boat finally on the water here in Sri Lanka. I hope this acts as a catalyst to the development of a volunteer mari me SAR response service that can complement and enhance the response capability of the Sri Lankan SAR authori es.” The 14.3 metre, 18 knot, self-righ ng Tyne class lifeboat known to the RNLI as Robert and Violet was sta oned for many years at Moelfre, Anglesey, in Wales. It was a nice coincidence that Michael had delivered her there in January 1988 in his then capacity of RNLI Divisional Inspector – 28 years to the day before he witnessed her commissioning in Sri Lanka. SLLI Chairman of Governors Ranjith Gunawardena, who Michael says is “the man with the original vision regarding the forma on of the SLLI”, voiced his concerns about the state of Sri Lanka's lifesaving facili es back in 2001. At the me, Sri Lanka's fishing industry was developing rapidly and their boats were going further offshore, and this meant an increase in the demand for rescue opera ons. The SLLI have worked hard to bring the vision to reality. They contacted the RNLI when Michael was s ll Opera ons Director, to see if a lifeboat could be made available. This was achieved through generous funding provided by the Master Divers Organisa on, whose owner Ariyaseela Wickramanayaka is a long serving supporter and
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
Even though the boat is now in place there is s ll much to be done to create an effec ve voluntary service. Government-approved charity status is required, and formalising the volunteer response with the mari me SAR authori es will be key. Training the crews who will man Puffin XII is now the priority. “It's a win-win situa on for the authori es; the volunteers are there because they want to be and the service provision is being provided at no cost to the Government,” says Michael. “I wish the SLLI well in their endeavours, because in the end there's really nothing be er than saving somebody's life. That is a good feeling.” “The APRC will con nue to work with the SLLI on this,” adds IMRF CEO Bruce Reid. “Ge ng the boat to Sri Lanka has been a great achievement – and a big thank you to all involved – but now there is a lot of administra ve and training work to do. We will help SLLI find appropriate training support and with the appropriate registra ons so that the boat can be recognised by the authori es as a rescue asset to be deployed. Then she can return to doing what she's always done best: saving lives.”
IAMSAR Manual – new edi on on sale soon The Interna onal Aeronau cal and Mari me Search and Rescue Manual does not have a very catchy tle – which is what you might expect from a work produced by two interna onal bureaucracies! – but it is the key global guidance to SAR procedures. Indeed, the acronym it is usually known by has a pleasing meaning of its own: this is the IAMSAR Manual, and “I AM SAR” sums it up very neatly. The Manual comes in three volumes. Volume I, 'Organiza on and Management', explains how search and rescue services should be established, and is principally addressed to the Government authori es responsible for doing so. It discusses the global SAR system concept, establishment and improvement of na onal and regional SAR systems, and coopera on with neighbouring States to provide effec ve and economical SAR services. Volume II, 'Mission Coordina on', the most detailed of the three, assists personnel who plan and coordinate SAR opera ons and exercises.
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LIFE LINE Drowning
As IMRF Trustee James Vaughan notes, many academics call drowning 'the silent epidemic'. According to the World Health Organiza on 40 people drown every hour around the world. Forty people. Every hour. Volume III, 'Mobile Facili es', is intended to be carried on board rescue units, aircra and ships to help with the performance of a search, rescue or on-scene coordinator func on and with aspects of SAR that pertain to their own emergencies.
That is equivalent to 70% of the global death toll from malnutri on and 60% of the toll from malaria. And the WHO's sta s cs do not even include transport, flooding or migrant losses. Yet the problem does not have the recogni on – or the response – it needs.
This year, for the first me (and at the IMRF's sugges on), the quick-reference ac on cards which are appended to Volume III will also be made available separately. Designed to assist in SAR planning, training, opera ons and exercises, and contained in a handy waterproof wallet, the cards cover: • a basic communica ons plan structure • on-scene coordina on • recovery of people in the water • man overboard (MOB) situa ons • MEDEVAC by helicopter; and • MEDICO-MEDEVAC medical assistance or evacua on
9 out of 10 drownings occur in poorer countries, o en in Africa and Asia and o en far inland. As James says, to make a real impact on this 'silent epidemic', those of us in mari me search and rescue need to work with many partner organisa ons focussing on other aspects of the problem. One example of this is the IMRF's project work in the Aegean with the United Na ons High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the charity Save the Children. However, says James, “We all need to consider who else we need to work with to tackle drowning effec vely.”
The Manual is published by the Interna onal Mari me Organiza on (I M O) and its sister U N agency the Interna onal Civil Avia on Organiza on (ICAO). A new edi on comes out every three years, keeping the contents up to date and enabling users to be sure they have the most up-to-date edi on to hand. The Manual is available in three languages: English, French and Spanish, although the ac on card pack will be available in English only.
One great source of informa on on the causes of drowning and the range of poten al interven ons is Drowning: preven on, rescue, treatment, edited by Joost J L M Bierens.
The 2016 edi on of IAMSAR (which includes a number of amendments proposed by the IMRF) will be published this summer. And you can buy your copy when it becomes available at the IMRF's online Bookshop: drop in to www.imr ookshop.org. Remember that you can get a 20% discount on any purchase made through the IMRF Bookshop if you are an IMRF Member. Volume III of the IAMSAR Manual, for example, will be priced at £50. As an IMRF Member you can buy it from us for £40. (Make sure you log in before you finalise your purchase in order to receive the discount. If you are unsure whether your organisa on is an IMRF Member, or you have forgo en your log-in details, please contact us at bookshop@imrf.org.uk.) And don't forget to browse while visi ng our Bookshop! There are lots of other publica ons available, from the SAR and SOLAS Conven ons and IMO Model Courses on SAR administra on and on-scene coordina on to the Global Mari me Distress and Safety System Manual and the Pocket Guides to Cold Water Survival and Recovery Techniques. Every me you make a purchase from our Bookshop, you help support the IMRF's work – and, as an IMRF Member, you make a saving yourself. It's a win-win situa on!
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
Drowning is now available in its second edi on. Since the first edi on was published in 2005 studies have increased understanding of effec ve drowning preven on strategies, rescue techniques, and treatment op ons. Much has been learned about submersion and immersion hypothermia, SCUBA-diving injuries, lifesaving prepara ons for waterrelated disasters and how to deal with forensic inves ga ons. In this updated edi on experts from around the world provide a complete overview of current research data, consensus statements and expert opinions. The book provides evidence-based and prac cal informa on of immense use to groups and individuals with tasks, du es and responsibili es in this domain. It is also an inspira on for future network and research ini a ves. At over 1200 pages long (and weighing 2.3 kg!) this is a large and comprehensive volume – and its retail price and postage costs reflect this. However, the IMRF believe that it should be made as widely available as possible. We are therefore offering the book for sale through the IMRF online bookshop – www.imr ookshop.org – for £90, which is a saving of up to 50% on the usual retail price. And, as part of this special offer, our price is inclusive of packing and postage to anywhere in the world. What's more, if you are an IMRF Member, you can claim as a Member benefit an addi onal 20% discount, bringing the price down to £72, inclusive of p&p. These are huge discounts, and we can only maintain them
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LIFE LINE while our limited current stock lasts. So please hurry to buy your copy of this world-leading guidance! Visit www.imr ookshop.org today.
Following the voluntary rescuers' perspec ve, Lieutenant Jari Rantala from the Finnish Border Guard explained the Finnish par cipa on in the European border security opera ons in the Mediterranean. The Border Guard has been involved in opera ons in the area for 3 to 7 months a year since 2007. The main task is to improve the level of border security in the fight against illegal immigra on between Turkey and Greek by sea. In addi on to the fight against illegal entry, SAR missions are an almost daily occurrence. A er the speeches the conference programme was divided into five interac ve workshops. These included the abovemen oned crew training system, Trossi- and other membership services, and perennially topical issues, such as the rescue vessels. There was also expert advice available on how to face the news media.
Finnish Lifeboat Ins tu on goes to sea
The conference also saw the award of the highest recogni ons of the Finnish Lifeboat Ins tu on. The tle of 'Rescue Crew of the Year, 2015' was granted to a boat crew from Tampere (pictured), for their ac ve involvement in nine different rescue missions during one single day – 4 June 2015.
Jori Nordström, Opera ons Manager of the Finnish Lifeboat Ins tu on, writes: The Finnish Lifeboat Ins tu on's 51st annual conference in early March gathered over 320 volunteers from across the country to discuss topical issues ranging from mixed migrant problems in the Mediterranean to membership services development. As usual the conference was held aboard the ferry Silja Serenade, sailing from Helsinki to Stockholm and back again. Over the years, the nature of this event has evolved from formal mee ngs to a more informal and joyful assembly, incorpora ng more and more people with the same lifesaving passion. In its current form the conference is the Ins tu on's main annual event, bringing together volunteers, sea rescuers and other stakeholders from across the country. This year's themes included interna onal coopera on in rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean Sea, upda ng the volunteer crew members' training schemes, and the development of the Ins tu on's Trossi-membership services, including the use of new mobile applica ons such as SafeTrx. IMRF Trustee Ma hew Fader has spent several months in the Mediterranean, aboard Swedish Sea Rescue Society rescue vessels and as part of the Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Fron ères (MSF)'s medical team on the search and rescue vessel Bourbon Argos. Ma hew's presenta on about his experiences off the coasts of Greece and Africa silenced the audience. Although the news media is constantly reminding us of the situa on, a SAR colleague's eyewitness tes mony of this catastrophe brings it home to us in a completely different way.
The prizewinning crew: Aki Lah nen (coxswain), Jasmo Hiltula, Saara Vento, Petri Kinnunen and Aki Leskinen
We need a rescue boat… That's fine, but who are you going to rescue and what type of rescue will it be? The IMRF is regularly approached by organisa ons who are se ng up to rescue people in distress at sea. This normally happens a er a local tragedy: people get together and say “never again”. But too o en the star ng point for these discussions is “We need a rescue boat. Do you know anyone with a boat to sell or donate?” We encourage these budding organisa ons to take a step back and consider: · · · ·
what problem is it that they are looking to solve what types of rescue do they intend to undertake what condi ons do they intend to go out in are there local hazards that may influence the type of equipment and training they will require · do they understand the na onal SAR structure they will be working in · are they sure their intended ac vity is not duplica ng a current service – saving lives is not a compe on!
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LIFE LINE To help developing organisa ons focus their minds and effort the IMRF has developed the Rescue Boat Guidelines (RBG), launched in the middle of last year. The RBG now has a dedicated web-site www.imrfrbg.org.uk which provides informa on and guidance on how to go about establishing a rescue service opera ng rescue vessels of less than 24 metres length. (The IMO Load Line Conven on applies to vessels over 24 metres). Most importantly, once you have a good idea of what you intend to do, RBG opens the door on the experience and knowledge of our member organisa ons bundled together in an on-line tool which will help you document and implement an interna onally recognised, simple, jus fiable and scalable framework for safe and effec ve mari me SAR opera ons. And best of all it's free. So what have you got to lose? Head to the website and get started. It's not just for start-ups either. For exis ng rescue organisa ons the on-line RBG tool is a great way of audi ng your current systems and iden fying any “gaps”. Give it a try.
Interna onal rescue effort con nues in the Aegean As the world awaits the outcome of the agreement between the European Union and Turkey aimed at stemming the flow of migrants and refugees across the Aegean, the IMRF remains commi ed to assis ng the SAR authori es in the area and to developing the mari me SAR capability of the Greek volunteer service, the Hellenic Rescue Team. We also con nue to support rescue efforts in the Central Mediterranean – and elsewhere in the world. According to the Interna onal Organiza on for Migra on, just under 170,000 'mixed migrants' a empted to cross the Mediterranean in the first three months of this year, nearly 19,000 on the 'central' routes from North Africa and more than 150,000 in the Aegean. The total is eight mes that in the same period last year. 620 people are believed to have died in this me: a 23% increase. That's 620 too many, of course; but at least the propor on of lives lost to those at risk has decreased. The IMRF-coordinated response is having a posi ve effect. “We commi ed to help un l the mari me rescue services can cope with the demand for rescue on their waters,” says Bruce Reid, IMRF's CEO. “And our ini a ve, coordina ng the response of several of our European members, is gaining momentum.” The German Mari me SAR service (DGzRS) and the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Ins tu on (KNRM) have joined other IMRF members opera ng in the area – see earlier edi ons of LIFE LINE in the newsle er archive on the IMRF website for some of the others' stories, and watch the website itself, www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org, for updates.
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
DGzRS rescued 600 people in their first week, using the lifeboat Minden under the coordina on of the Hellenic Coast Guard. In their very first opera on near Lesbos they rescued 57 people, including 20 children: mainly Syrian refugees, who were in an overcrowded rubber dinghy unfit for the open sea. According to Captain Udo Helge Fox, Chairman of the IMRF and also execu ve director of the DGzRS, who took part in the rescue opera on, the majority of those in distress were women, small children and infants. The youngest was about two months old, the oldest woman over 70. Since then the Minden's crew have rescued 165 people on one mission; including six babies aged less than three months. “Many of them are completely soaked. Again and again we have to provide medical assistance for the refugees, some of whom suffer from circulatory collapse, hypoglycaemia or seasickness,” reported Ulrich Fader, captain of the Minden, which has been reinforced by lifesavers from the German Life-Saving Service (DLRG). This ini a ve is based on the posi ve experience of the Swedish lifesavers currently in ac on on the island of Samos. Volunteer crew members from the Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT) also take part in every rescue mission. At the same me extensive training sessions with HRT crew members have begun. On Chios, KNRM have provided equipment including two Atlan c class lifeboats, and have started a training programme, as well as se ng up a new lifeboat sta on for the HRT, being built by volunteers. They are very sa sfied with the results so far. From the beginning HRT and KNRM crew have worked well together. “The mission is up-and-running,” says the KNRM's Kees Brinkman. “We have a good berth for the lifeboats, an equipment container in fresh blue paint and the HRT logo, and the first training sessions with the new crewmembers have been completed. On 21 March the lifeboat sta on moved to the south of the Chios Harbour, due to an expected gale and a heavy swell on the lee shore, but that didn't stop the crew from con nuing their training.” The HRT Chios Lifeboat Sta on has been reorganised, using the KNRM-blueprint to organise the work process. It takes some me to introduce the working process to the HRT crew members, but the KNRM too are adjus ng to the Greek way of life. “At the moment the volunteers are s ll training,” says Kees, “But they will be ready soon to par cipate in SAR missions.” Members assis ng members: it works! The IMRF members opera ng in the region have launched fundraising ini a ves to support their efforts, independent
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LIFE LINE of fundraising for their work back home – which is unaffected by this special lifesaving effort. But they need further dona ons to cover all their costs and to enable them to stay on scene un l the job is done. If you would like t o h e l p , v i s i t w w w. i n t e r n a o n a l - m a r i m e rescue.org/homemigrant, where you can donate to the IMRF's project in general, or to the individual members via links. “The work of the IMRF members is making a real difference in the Aegean. We are training up volunteers on basic seamanship and using our Rescue Boat Guidelines as the template for prac cal ac on,” says Bruce Reid. “As well as helping to save lives in the area now, we are impar ng knowledge and experience, and providing equipment, which will be invaluable for the Hellenic rescue services in the future.”
MOAS in South East Asia In early March IMRF member MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Sta on) began a new mission in the Andaman Sea. “The task of the MY Phoenix is to observe and analyse irregular movements at sea with the goal of suppor ng local stakeholders in providing an enhanced life-saving response. Our aim is to generate a be er understanding of the movements of refugees and migrants in this region and be ready to assist in cases where there is an imminent threat to loss of life,” says MOAS founder Christopher Catrambone. Since late 2014, MOAS, which is based in Malta, has used the Phoenix to locate and rescue almost 13,000 people from the Mediterranean Sea. MOAS now operates the 50metre Emergency Recovery and Response Vessel (ERRV) Responder in the Aegean. Responder, equipped with two fast rescue boats, has been instrumental in rescuing hundreds of refugees in hos le winter condi ons since December 2015.
issue of LIFE LINE). Venezuela has more than 500,000 square kilometres of water and over 3,000 kilometres of shoreline. ADES-VE is an NGO composed of expert volunteers who wish to provide planning and response support to the government authori es whose mission it is to safeguard people, animals and goods in all the country's waters. Safety and emergency response on these waters and waterways are the responsibility of the Na onal Ins tute of Aqua c Spaces (INEA), Coast Guard Navy and Coast Guard Na onal Guard, while other jurisdic ons such as the Ministry of Environment also have relevant roles. ADES-VE provides opera onal support and programmes to disseminate environmental and ecological educa on and accident preven on and mari me safety informa on. They also cooperate in SAR planning and missions. ADES-VE maintain coastal radio sta ons, using their own resources and manned 24 hours. They monitor distress and calling frequencies for requests for help, and address them expedi ously and efficiently un l the situa on is sa sfactorily resolved. Currently two sta ons are registered with the authori es: ADES-VE Las Piedras on the Paraguana Peninsula in Falcon State, and ADES-VE Pampatar on Margarita Island in Nueva Esparta State. The organisa on seeks to recruit their volunteers among college students and young professionals who contribute with their knowledge in different areas of nau cal science and serve as informa on providers to the communi es in each region where ADES-VE operates. The aim is to be Venezuela's most effec ve voluntary organisa on dedicated to the preserva on of life at sea and protec on of the aqua c environment. Specific objec ves include building up a volunteer organiza on trained in mari me SAR and environmental protec on and to provide an immediate response capability to meet any con ngency planning or search and rescue requirement in support of the competent agencies, including in other countries or on the high seas. ADES-VE also aspires to opera ng specifically designed and equipped rescue boats of their own.
Transferred to the Indian Ocean, Phoenix and her two drones will make large and methodical sweeps of the sea to iden fy vessels and locate large groups of people above or below decks, day or night. Informa on collected by the drones is transmi ed to technicians aboard Phoenix, MOAS' mapping experts in Malta, and then to local stakeholders. If a vessel is in peril, the ship's SAR crew will respond in a fast rescue boat.
The IMRF welcomes ADES-VE to the family, and looks forward to suppor ng the organisa on's development as best we can.
Member Focus – ADES Venezuela
And finally...
Asociación Voluntaria de Salvamento Acuá co de Venezuela, or ADES-VE – founded in 2012 – has joined the interna onal IMRF family with the aim of sharing experience and exper se (see 'To belong' in the February
We hope that you have found this issue of LIFE LINE informa ve and interes ng. If you would like to contribute ar cles and pictures about your news, projects, events, ideas or lessons learned, please contact news@imrf.org.uk. page 12
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
Ready to rescue – with lifejackets donated via the IMRF!