The East Coast Low has whipped up seas in the Sydney and Illawarra region but the weather system is gradually weakening.

Ten pilots and crew for Sydney’s and South Coast’s helicopter bases will start a 370 kilometre ski paddle this Saturday morning.   The crew will paddle from Bermagui in a relay format finishing at Bondi Beach nine days later.

On their way up the coast, the crews will stop overnight in local communities and a number of fundraising events are being planned.

“We’ve been watching the weather systems for that last few days obviously, because our rescue teams are on standby to assist with flood rescue efforts around the state,” said Westpac Life Saver Helicopter CEO, Stephen Leahy.

“We are anticipating that the system will move south but will weaken.”

“Nevertheless, the safety of our staff is paramount and we have a number of contingency options to ensure that the paddlers can complete the course safely,” said Mr Leahy.

Both helicopter bases are monitoring weather patterns and speaking with other emergency services in order to accurately predict ocean conditions over the next week.

“If the ocean conditions are such that it is dangerous to have the paddlers in the ocean, we will be able to cover the same distance using inland courses.  We have a number of contingency plans in place to ensure we cover the distance safely”  

A rescue jet ski will escort the paddlers the whole time they are on the water.   The jet ski and each paddler will have tracking and GPS devices that can be monitored remotely.  A radio communications network has been activated through the surf lifesaving State Operations Centre.

The fundraising ski paddle will not affect the rescue operations of the helicopter service.

“Our crews have trained hard for this event over the last few months but we are committed to ensuring that our rescue helicopter operations are not affected by Heli400,” Mr Leahy said.

“Should the extensive flooding continue into next week and our helicopters are required to be relocated elsewhere in the state to assist with flood rescue, this is our priority and we will reschedule the paddle if we have.”

Heli400 Bega to Bondi kicks off at Bermagui beach this Saturday morning, immediately after the ANZAC Day dawn service.

To support our crews in their fundraising efforts go to www.begatobondi.com.au

All funds raised go to replacing engines on Lifesaver 3 – the south coast’s Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter.