Xmas Patrols were kept busy
THANKYOU TO OUR PATROL MEMBERS
4 consecutive days of voluntary patrol from 9am to 6pm....Xmas Day, Boxing Day, Sunday & Monday.
Here is a run down....thank you very much to all 7 patrol teams for your service this Christmas long weekend just finished.
Thank you very much also to those members who organised and accepted shift swaps as well as to additional volunteers, some of whom attended following a text message ‘call to arms’ on Sunday.
Conditions over the 4 days went full circle – from a closed beach all day on Christmas Day, Boxing Day rain sun & a nor easter blowing in the arvo, to a most beautiful day on Sunday – back to the beach being closed all day on Monday.
There were massive crowds on Sunday spread all along the beach with Team 7 (Jay Townsend Capt) performing 5 rescues during the morning shift and Team 1 (Paul Brightwell Capt) another 11 in the afternoon. In some of these rescues our junior members and newest SRC members were actively involved.
How great to see their level of confidence and their training already helping to save lives. What a huge effort and thankfully no additional emergency services, e.g. ambulances, were needed. That takes the total rescues for this season to 22!!
Some great commitment by our members, some behind the scenes work done thankyou to all. Shout out various people for different things: to Lachlan O'Grady and Jason Colquhoun who pulled double shifts on Christmas Day, to Damien Parsons (Michelle Parsons) who assembled the new vacuum cleaner, teams 7 and 1 for performing all those rescues on Sunday. Scott Ashcroft, Alex Kirkland, Tanya Allen, Grace Krittenden, Kylie Roodenrys and Sienna Tracey for backing up team 1 on Sunday afternoon, to Grahame Bilton (Bilko) and Jack Bilton for battling 3 hours of traffic from their home at Penrith on Sunday to attend their shift and to teams 3 and 6 for doing 2 shifts each over the 4 days.
Thank you all again - it is amazing how you rise to the challenge when it matters!
Our DOL was one happy lifesaver