Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter

[BONECRUSHER]

I had a great day today. Besides the great weather and getting to work at Cape Banks @ La Perouse. I got to work At the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Base today. Was awesome to see how things are run at that point. All a bunch of top people. I found out that the guys that go down on the cable are volenteers the other crew get paid. The helicopter came in and out twice. Days can get boring so a helicopter landing 40m infront of you is cool. Was fitting electric strikes to a security upgrade.

The Ambulance Service of NSW at the end of 2006 awarded the tender for emergency medical helicopter services to an overseas company which is Phucked. So half their crew has been cut.

One of the crew was telling me that rock fisherman are a large percentage of their work. Quote " Asian rockfishermen who cant swim" they pulled three the other week right in front of the base he said (one dead).

Going to take the BONECRUSHER out tomorro morning for a bash. hope you all can to. HAve a tops weekend.

Coops

[shags]

Gday B/C..

Id take it thats Life Saver 1..

Where EXACTLY is their base?..i wouldnt mind finding out on how to become a volunteer member..

I remember the good old days when that particular chopper use to come down here to the Shoalhaven Hospital to trtansport patients to Wollongong OR Sydney,,,not nowadays,,they now use the Ambulance Helicopter out of Albion Park,,,,,PITY ,,as the westpac was cheaper to run & QUICKER..

Yes they do an awsome job hey,,,i had seen them lift a fisho from Kiama Blow-hole a few years ago..

Craig

[BONECRUSHER]

You have to drive through St Michaels Golf course to get to it. off anzac pde. Well off the beaten track

[BONECRUSHER]

I think they take surf club members. Probably because they are trained up in CPR and swim good. It looks like fun but not sure how i would like to pull dead bodys from the water

[shags]

B/C..

NOT !! proud to admit this but i am a proud Volunteer Member of a Marine Rescue base here as a skipper but when it comes to retreive dead bodies from the water,you just do it for the sake of the persons loved ones and you know you can put that family at ease by knowing they can have a proper funeral etc..

Sad to say or admit but you just do it as its all part of it and you know your doing it for SOME ONE..

Ive retreived all up 4 bodies so far since been a volunteer memeber over 8 yrs or so,,,2 of which was from the Crookhaven Bar.

Craig

[Dog Catcher]

If I'm not mistaken that idiotic NSW government was going tp hand the contract over to Canadian Co to operate the choppers so they wont be Westpac anymore maybe someone who knows may verify ???????


You have to drive through St Michaels Golf course to get to it. off anzac pde. Well off the beaten track

They also have a landing pad down by the 6th hole on the NSW golf course often see the chopper land there.

I think they take surf club members

I'll ask my nephew he's a clubby down @ maroubra drive the rubber ducky around.

Ive retreived all up 4 bodies so far since been a volunteer memeber over 8 yrs or so,,,2 of which was from the Crookhaven Bar.


You get some fools going through there dont you ???

B4 your time I'd say but towed a guy back to the banks many years ago he had drifted a few miles east had no radio etc & was lucky that we saw him waving, told him to drop the pick till help arrived.

Then I radio'd into Greenwell Pt Base to come get him [ps... is Margaret still there ????] anyways it was a flat sea's with no wind @ this point of the day & we proceeded to to go out wide inwhich time the wind had picked up later in the day.

When arriving @ Crookhaven Hds there were around 500 + people all lining Crookhaven area had no idea why they were there thought they were giving us a ticket take parade :rolling laughter:

Found out later 2 guys had drowned, they flipped a 5 meter tinny coming though the heads & mind you it was reletavely flat when we came through & back then I only had a 18 ft tinny myself guess they tried coming in on the last of the run out tide.

I get very critical of small boats going out to sea & that is one reason why most of the time the boat can handle conditions but not the person behind the wheel.

Hey Craig !

See a mate of mine made the news down your way this week got washed in @ Little Beecroft fishing for niggers.

[shags]

Gday D/C..

Na mate,,never heard anything on the news re ya mate,,,was he ok?

No,,Margaret is NO longer doing it,,,the pilot house is now up at the head land at Crook Haven Heads,but yes the 2 boats are still in West St creek..SA 24 & SA 8.

Craig