04 Oct Vital People/Vital Causes October 2024

Drawing on key data and themes from our Vital Signs 2024 report, we will present a new Vital People/Vital Causes online and in the Coast Reporter on the first Friday of every month.

Vital Cause: Volunteering for the Safety of Others

The Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) is vital to public safety on the Sunshine Coast. Responsible for responding to marine emergencies, each station – 14 Gibsons, 12 Halfmoon Bay, and 61 Pender Harbour – operates with a shared mission to save lives on the water.

The Sunshine Coast Foundation’s Vital Signs 2024 highlights that public safety services on the Sunshine Coast are heavily dependent on volunteers. In 2023, RCMSAR stations responded to 34 missions, down from 42 in 2022, showing the ongoing need for marine safety volunteers.

Vital People: Volunteers in Marine Search and Rescue

Tess Huntly has spent nearly a decade volunteering with Station 14. As both Coxswain and Communications Officer, she has witnessed firsthand the impact that a trained and dedicated volunteer team can have on public safety.

“Every day on the water is different,” Tess explains. “You never know what’s going to happen – the weather can change, you lose daylight, or the situation can become more serious. You have to be ready for anything.

Training is a rigorous and essential part of preparing RCMSAR volunteers for the unpredictable nature of their work. Teams constantly work on mastering their skills, practising boat handling techniques, close counter maneuvering, navigation, and first aid, to ensure they are prepared for any challenge.

RCMSAR relies on volunteers who bring varied experiences, diverse backgrounds, and are drawn together by a shared commitment to action. “Everyone’s safety and successful outcomes depend on teamwork,” Tess notes. “We’re fortunate to have such a strong team, made up of people from all walks of life.” Beyond missions, RCMSAR stations are active at public events as a safety vessel on the water, where they accompany paddling races and community swims.

From rescue crew, to shore-based duties such as boat maintenance, administration, and fundraising, the almost 60 volunteers across the three stations, do it all.

Tess believes it’s the unique combination of adventure and purpose that draws people to volunteer for RCMSAR. “There’s something truly gratifying about responding to a community need and knowing that what we do can make a real difference in someone’s life. People appreciate that we’re out there, ready to help.

Supporting Marine Search and Rescue on the Coast

Since 2014, the Sunshine Coast Foundation has granted over $65,000 in support of the three Marine Search and Rescue stations that service the Sunshine Coast.

Critical public safety services on the Coast are heavily dependent on Vital People to put in thousands of training and response hours every year, like the teams at RCMSAR 12, 14, and 61. If this Vital Cause speaks to you, consider making a gift to the Marine Rescue Agency Fund.

For more information on our Vital Signs program, click here.

***

Interview and article by Lisa Furfaro. Photo by Keith Davidson.