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As we celebrate 100 Great Unearthed Whyalla Things, as suggested by the people of Whyalla, we will be putting the focus on one each week.
We kick off the Great Things with a suggestion from one of our Facebook friends Ally Oxby who put forward the Whyalla Sea Rescue Squadron.
“They are a volunteer organization that doesn't bill you if you get into trouble on the water .... now that’s something!” Ally said.
Can’t argue with that Ally and when you look a bit closer at this fantastic Whyalla bastion of volunteers, it’s not hard to see why it is in the 100 Great Things.
The squadron is a 100% volunteer-run organisation that has been rescuing and keeping sea goers safe in Whyalla since 1981. At present it has 30 core operation volunteers, split into three crews, that take turns in being on call for a week at a time.
When they say “on call” they mean it too … it is 24/7.
This is three volunteer crews that will jump into action at any time of day when there is a problem off our coast or on our shore. Just recently one of the crews was kept busy after a yacht tumbled off the slipway at the marina and had to be dragged back off the rocks.
Along with these sorts of incidents, regular boat breakdowns and associated maritime issues right up to life-threatening situations, the squadron is there for Whyalla and its surrounding districts.
“We haven’t had a serious life-threatening incident for a few years but we are ready and able if one crops up,” squadron leader Alan Hall said.
“We were involved in rescue mission for Flight 904 when it crashed in 2000 but fortunately we’ve just had to deal with the normal situations lately like engine breakdowns, flat batteries and boats generally getting into trouble.”
The squadron played a key role in the rescue mission during the Flight 904 tragedy when a Whyalla Airline flight ditched in Spencer Gulf after suffering engine failure in May, 2000. Unfortunately all eight on the plane were killed in the crash.
The lack of serious incidents off our shores may also come down to the education and licensing programs the squadron runs. The volunteers run radio courses and boat licence accreditation courses as part of their community duties.
“We still get up to three calls a week these days but, thankfully, they are what we call ‘RAA calls’ where somebody has a flat battery or an engine problem,” Alan said.
“A lot of us are just retirees these days and it’s our way of giving something back to the community.
“There’s also the social aspect, we all enjoy getting together as a group.”
The squadron gets funding from Emergency Services and the City of Whyalla and runs under SAPOL guidelines but also raises a lot of its own funds through its courses and other fundraisers. It also has 250 signed-up members who pay $5 a year to help the rescue service.
At present the squadron runs a Clayton SR1 half cabin rescue boat with several backup recreational vessels also swung into action when needed.
Anyone wishing to donate by becoming a member or are interested in becoming a rescue volunteer can contact the squadron on 8644 0414 at its marina headquarters.