THREE Marine Rescue volunteers from the Narooma unit have become the first qualified Jet Ski operators in the state for Marine Rescue NSW.
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The Marine Rescue Narooma volunteers successfully completed a Jet Ski training course held at Tuross Head on November 10-11.
Training was overseen by the Narooma unit’s personal water craft (PWC) training officer Mark Jolly and training officer Glen Sullivan from Batemans Bay Marine Rescue.
The course was conducted by the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association and involved Marine Rescue members from Narooma and life savers from around the Eurobodalla Shire.
The course was run over two days of classroom theory activities and competencies, calm water rescue and surf rescue techniques.
The three successful members were Ben Woolnough, Cassandra Bendixsen and Damien Stanford.
Over the two days participants were required to show all aspects of competence in PWC use.
This included launching and retrieving a PWC from boat ramp and beach sites, operation of a PWC, precision approach driving, power craft rescue procedures, PWC management, maintenance and emergency procedures.
Rescue techniques were assessed in both calm water at Tuross Lake and surf conditions at One Tree Beach, using rescue slings, rescue tubes, rescue sleds, and crew members.
Rescues included conscious patient pick-up, prone locking position with crew assistance, crew drop-off and one person pick-up and unconscious patient pick-up.
Ben, Cassandra and Damien add to the rescue capabilities at Narooma by manning the unit’s two PWC’s, Narooma 11 and Narooma 12.
The Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) previously operated the Jet Ski rescue service at Narooma, but now the marine aspects of the VRA have been incorporated into Marine Rescue.
