Training session turned into real-life rescue

Three Marine Rescue Central Coast vessels, including two rescue watercrafts, participated in the NSW SES’s 5th annual Who Let the Boats Out flood rescue training event on Brisbane Water last weekend.

This was the largest event run by the SES so far, with more than 900 participants and 240 vessels across the state, from all the emergency services plus Maritime, working together to respond to 2,200 individual emergency response events.

Central Coast Marine Rescue worked together with several vessels from the NSW SES Gosford Unit, along with the Erina Rural Fire Brigade, taking part in a range of emergency response scenarios.

These included fire drills, boat breakdown, emergency anchoring, transferring of casualties between vessels, vessel towing, boat-based casualty recovery, and person overboard.

All scenarios were aimed at replicating events that can frequently occur during significant or statewide flood events.

Marine Rescue even had to manage a real-life assist midway through the event, adding an extra level of realism to things, said MRCC spokesperson Steven Constantine.

“A member of the public encountered a distressed vessel and seeing Marine Rescue in operation further north on Brisbane Water came to advise the rescue unit,” he said.

“The two rescue watercraft were dispatched to provide rapid response/assistance and confirm the vessel’s issues.

“The vessel then quickly attended and provide a tow to Gosford.

“Great to have the SES onboard to observe how we do things.

“It was a great opportunity for Marine Rescue to work closely with the local Gosford SES team, including having their members aboard the unit’s vessel.”

Constantine said that it was a great opportunity to share experiences, and the Brisbane Water based unit looked forward to working closely together on further exercises.