Phillip Island’s certified lifesaving legends
Lifesavers from the Woolamai Surf Life Saving Club have been acknowledged for their service by LSV.
Twenty-six lifesavers from the Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club (WBSLSC) have been acknowledged for their service by Life Saving Victoria.
At an event held during Volunteers Week, Life Saving Victoria (LSV) applauded its members for their efforts between the red and yellow flags and beyond this season at its Valuing Volunteers Event.
Victorian lifesavers performed 674 rescues, over 11,000 first aid services, 88 Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter taskings and over 300,000 preventative actions during the 2022-23 patrol season.
This included an early start to the season, as LSV volunteers and staff were deployed to assist in communities inundated by the 2022 Victorian floods, helping those trapped evacuate, delivering lifesaving medications, surveying from above and providing a source of comfort and support to communities in need.
LSV president Paul James commended the efforts of the organisation’s volunteers and thanked them for their service.
“It takes a special kind of person to give up their own time to help others, let alone the people we recognised at our Valuing Volunteers Events for contributing upward of 100 patrol hours and going above and beyond to extend our services well beyond the red and yellow flags,” Mr James said.
“Thanks to our lifesavers, 674 people made it home safely to their families, this is 674 incidents that could have turned out very differently without our people there to help.
“I am immensely proud of our people … every one of our 45,000-plus members has made an invaluable contribution to our organisation, saving lives and empowering communities to safely enjoy Victoria’s beautiful waterways.”
The following presentations were made to WBSLSC members:
100+ patrol hours – gold: Thomas Baird, Ava Close.
100+ patrol hours – silver: Lucas Atkin, Helen Boyce, Josh Broughton, Isabel Bulach, Michael Butler.
100+ patrol hours – bronze: Terry Aslandis, Sophia Hungerford, Lotus Lee, Nick Reynolds, Evan Richter, William Roff-Smith, Zoe Scott, Madeleine Woodmason, Lachlan Casey, Phoebe Clark, Erin Close, Emma Gallagher, Luke Guilmartin, Jordan Kuerschner, Terry Prendergast, Maddy Reynolds, Emily Ross.
Significant contribution awards – membership and leadership development: Michael Butler.
Gold medallion: Darrell Clark, Campbell Smart.
