A dangerous search on stormy seas highlights the accolades earned by a remarkable eight members of Oak Bay Sea Rescue.
Known officially as Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 33 - Oak Bay, the relatively small team earned honours in 2024 that included long service, volunteer of the year, administrative excellence and an operational merit award.
The merit award went to trio Olivier Girardeau, Paul McDonnell (coxswain) and Alison Scoon, said spokesperson Eddy Halloran.
The three were part of a large response tasked with rescuing four people and a dog from a sinking vessel.
“The search pattern was so large they weren’t actually in the area where the rescue was, but the weather and conditions were quite hazardous for them,” Halloran said.
Short on crew at the time, the trio was sent out using a scramble system, and with their help, a large search grid was cleared.
They left the Oak Bay Marina station and headed to an area off Discovery Island where the Coast Guard tasked them with an area to search. The patterns they were given weren’t simple, Halloran said, and the coxswain made good decisions to change the search patterns to create safer conditions for the team.
“It was a very difficult mission,” Halloran said.
The trio was among RCM-SAR volunteers honoured for their outstanding service as recognized by their peers, the RCM-SAR board of directors, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in 2024.
The awards celebrate the safety and well-being of the coastal community. Last year, more than 950 RCM-SAR volunteers safely executed 499 search and rescue missions, saving the lives of 78 people and assisting 373 more.
Jenny Weston was named Volunteer of the Year, Crew Member. The longtime volunteer served as station leader for two years then recruiting officer – the title she currently holds – all while building a family, Halloran said. “She’s a fantastic organizer and has great strength in what she does,” he said. “That’s a really hard award to get because there’s only one given out.”
Kim Bentzon – who developed the training scheme for the Oak Bay team – earned the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Administrative Excellence Medal.
“His work has been taken up by the RCM-SAR and they’re incorporating that into their training program,” Halloran said.
CCGA Long Service Awards were issued to Alex Muir for 40 years of service; Jurgen Pokrandt for 25 years; and Campbell Good for 20 years.
RCM-SAR 33 maintains a 24/7 marine search and rescue readiness and promotes boating safety programs to the public.
“We’ve had a few rescues recently where people said they didn’t know who to call,” Halloran said.
Oak Bay Sea Rescue reminds boaters in distress can call 911 and ask for Marine Search and Rescue, use channel 16 on the VHF or call the joint rescue coordination centre at 1-800-567-5111.
Learn more about the organization, or how to volunteer, online at obsr.ca.
