Bundabah the scene of (mock) Marine Rescue emergency

VOLUNTEERS from the Lemon Tree Passage Marine Rescue unit made a special landing at Bundabah on Monday 17 November, to practice for possible emergencies.

The small boat launch area at Cedar Park played host to the Marine Rescue landing craft, which was greeted by several Pindimar and Bundabah locals, including RFS volunteer brigade members.

Volunteer-led initiatives like these are an excellent way to practice for the realities of an actual emergency.

The boat “ramp” has suffered severe erosion, and is reduced to a very jagged inlet of rocks, tree roots and sand, with deep mud only metres into the water; but the lander was able to take on half a dozen or so locals to make the practice run out to a hypothetical mother ship.

“The idea is that we can move people who really need to be moved out of Bundabah and onto another ship waiting in the bay, then off to get medical or other assistance on the south side,” Brad Fuller, Deputy Unit Commander (Operations) for the Lemon Tree Passage Marine Rescue unit, told News Of The Area (NOTA).

“Come the day [the community is] actually cut off from power, phones, and the one road in and out, they will still have hope in the ability of Marine Rescue volunteers to reach them from the south side.

“Other agencies, like the SES, RFS, and Westpac Rescue Helicopter will be involved in a real emergency, and we definitely won’t be doing any mass evacuations, but we can assist in other ways, like delivering food supplies or vacating those in a serious condition.”

The landing craft’s drop-down front made it that much easier for residents to practice boarding on foot, but the actual approach to the boat launch area is in desperate need of some modern upgrades.

A nearby jetty extending several metres into the cove was privately built some years ago, and its maintenance record is unknown.

Several locals who had not used the jetty before discovered that its only approaches were via a low-tide sandy embankment, or by accessing another street up the hill.

There is also a large gap to jump that would preclude anyone with mobility issues.

Heavy smoke from the fires still burning in and around North Arm Cove and Karuah, added atmosphere to the exercise.

“We were very encouraged by the shore-side enthusiasm, a large group of people came out in the morning to witness and participate,” DUC Fuller said.

All involved gained valuable insight from this practical demonstration, including the stark realities of relaunching the lander, which shore-side RFS volunteers had to push out given the extra weight of the “evacuees” on board.

The lander is a flat-bottom boat, but deeper draft vessels can only pull up to the nearby jetty.

“This is the first time we have gone over with both the vessels, and our crew for the day were our current active skippers, so all of them have now had this experience for when they each lead a vessel in future.

“We have to acknowledge the difficulty in getting elderly/infirm people down to the boats, and are looking forward to [practising] this again.”

By Thomas O’KEEFE