Port Macquarie has one of the largest Marine Rescue units in NSW and now is home to 11 new recruits – five of which are under 18.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The new volunteers attended their first training session on January 22, and were all very excited to join the primary rescue agency on the water.
Anderson Cameron-Brown is one of the new volunteers and said he can’t wait to begin training.
“My mum is heavily involved in Marine Rescue and so after being dragged along to lots of things I decided I wanted to help out officially and give back to the community,” Anderson said.
“At 16 it is pretty daunting seeing how much is involved in joining something like Marine Rescue, but I am just going to focus on one thing at a time and see how it goes.”
“I am excited about learning lots of new skills and hopefully grow my confidence when put in difficult or different situations than I am normally in,” he said.
“Being around so many people who are doing great things will be awesome.”
After graduating school last year, Jenson Rogers, decided to volunteer with Marine Rescue as a way to pass the time.
“I have just graduated school and am not sure what I want to do so I figured that I would do some volunteering,” Jenson said.
“In the past I have done a lot of boat things and this is just an extension of that. It will be great to help others when they are stuck out on the water.”
Greg Davies, unit commander for Marine Rescue Port Macquarie said it was a great time for the robust unit.
“We have a rapidly growing unit with many of our volunteers upskilling as well as gaining another group of new trainees,” Mr Davies said.
“It is wonderful that we have attracted lots of younger people who are keen to give back and help in their community.
“We are especially excited to welcome five new recruits under the age of 18 who have shown they are ready and willing to learn the ropes.
“The average age of our volunteers is dropping substantially and the younger volunteers add to our dynamic unit while our long time members offer wisdom and experience.”
What else is making news?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.
