Evans Head-Casino SLSC and Batemans Bay SLSC are the proud owners of new Inflatable Rescue Boat hulls ahead of the upcoming season, after being named the winners of the 2024 Ampol IRB Hull Giveaway.
Announced at the Sharkskin Australian IRB Championships at Miami Beach on the Gold Coast – a fitting location given over 800 competitors were racing IRBs in the name of upskilling and rescue simulation – the NSW clubs were the latest recipients of vital lifesaving equipment as part of the Ampol competition.
“We are privileged to be one of the recipients of the Ampol branded IRB, which will ensure that our club and volunteers can continue to support the local community and help train our young members,” Evans Head-Casino Club Captain, Michael Pontefract said.
“In the 2022 floods, our IRB was essential in the rescue efforts, and this new IRB will help protect our community on the beaches and also in times of natural disaster.”
Indeed, battling flood waters as much as three metres high, Evans Head-Casino members utilised the IRBs’ rescue capabilities to land on rooves and rescue as many as 100 displaced members of the community.
“During the floods the members themselves worked really hard and our IRBs travelled around 200kms on one day total, bringing people safely back to evacuation centres,” IRB Driver and Evans Head-Casino member, Kira Hartland said.
“I’m so proud of what the club achieved; we just did what we were trained to do.”
A significant number of the North Coast club’s volunteer base nominated for the competition, understanding the value the rescue vessel holds within the community but also as a tool for member retention and growth.
Batemans Bay, too, on the Far South Coast reaches a peak visitation figure of as many as 60,000 people in the summer and the club plans to use the new IRB to protect holiday makers in the region.
“Our partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia continues to place an important spotlight on Ampol Foundation’s focus of safety and wellbeing within the communities in which we operate,” Ampol Chief Brand Officer, Jenny O’Regan said.
“We are proud to oversee the delivery of new IRBs to two deserving Surf Life Saving Clubs in Evans Head and Batemans Bay and wish them all the best for the beach patrol season ahead.”
Over 620 responses were received for the third running of the Ampol IRB Hull Giveaway.
Monday 22 July 2024