East London’s open day a great success

Sunday 04 December : Station 7, East London’s open day a huge success with around 500 visitors.The East London group of NSRI volunteers who earlier in the year added the Station Efficiency award to their list of honors put on a day to remember.The Sea Rescue base, built just up-river of East London’s harbor on a bank of the Buffalo river, is normally spick and span, and for today's function the crew of volunteers put 150 percent into their preparations.The day’s highlights were the two rescue demonstrations using the Lotto Rescue Runner and the 5.5 metre RIB “Spirit of Rotary East London”. Visitors to the station were shown how rescue swimmers are deployed and how a patient with suspected spinal injuries is brought safely onto a rescue boat. There was something for everyone. From face painting for the kids of all ages, to boat rides and NSRI memorabilia for sale, to WaterWise workshops for children, it was a day that the many supporters of Sea Rescue in East London will not forget.The days fun events were ended off with a real call out for a surfer in trouble off Morgans Bay.The METRO helicopter was scrambled with two NSRI rescue swimmers on board and a team towing the rescue runner responded from the East London base - a one way trip of 90km! The helicopter was on scene a few minutes before the NSRI rescue vehicle and found that the surfer was actually a log in the water which according to the air crew looked amazingly like ... a surfer in the water.The call was recorded as a false alarm with good intentions. It is also a perfect example of the huge distances that some of our volunteers need to respond to help people in distress.Well done to the East London crew, who under the watchful eye of Station Commander Geoff McGregor, put on a truly wonderful day rounded off with a call-out.High resolution pictures are available for download on the Sea Rescue Flickr site.