Squamish Search and Rescue justifiably gets a lot of Squamish attention, but there’s another local volunteer rescue organization also helping those in distress.
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Station 4 helps those in need out on the water.
The organization is holding a boat safety and public awareness event downtown on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Stan Clarke Park. The all-ages event will include tours of the rigid hull inflatable vessel, safety-oriented games and prizes, according to Raymond Messier, president of the Howe Sound Marine Rescue Society, a not-for-profit charity that funds the rescue organization.
The idea is to reinforce water safety and alert the public to what the organization does.
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue is very similar to the Coast Guard, Messier explained. “We respond to medical emergencies, collisions. We tow vessels short distances,” he said. “The only thing we don’t do that regular Coast Guard does is pollution response, and we don’t write tickets – we aren’t law enforcement.”
Messier said some of the biggest mistakes people make are going onto the water unprepared and drinking while boating.
“It is a very common thing if you are boating, you are drinking, and that is something we deal with quite often,” he said. “We see a lot of the consequences with preventable accidents. There are major implications.”
In terms of preparedness, Messier said donning a life jacket and bringing a whistle are most important. He said they are “two easy things people can bring with them.”
A new marine rescue boathouse and training centre is slated for Xwu’nekw (Lot 1) on the Mamquam Blind Channel in downtown Squamish.
Council passed the motion to make way for the structures almost a year ago, but progress has been slow, Messier said.
Mayor Patricia Heintzman said the rescue organization needs a development permit from the district to build the new facilities, and it has to work out logistical issues with Transport Canada and other organizations.
Ultimately, the facility should be moved to Newport (Nexen) Beach, Heintzman said.
“Down on the Oceanfront so there is a much quicker response time and they don’t have to do the slow meander through the channel,” she said.
Currently, the marine rescue organization operates out of the Squamish Yacht Club, where its two vessels are docked and a small trailer holds its gear.
“Getting dressed in the rain for a 3 a.m. call in the parking lot of the Yacht Club is kind of inconvenient,” Messier said with a laugh.
Having the new facilities will be more convenient, offer a place for classroom training for members and protect the vessels, thus prolonging their life, according to Messier.
“Basically it is just giving us a home,” he said.
RCMSAR is always looking for new, eager members, Messier said. The organization provides training, but members must make a five-year commitment. For more information on the organization, go to the group’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/RCMSAR04. For details on volunteering as a rescue member, message the organization on Facebook.
