Moama Marine Rescue crew Courtney Gardiner, Mitch Hunt and Olivia Ford (back), with inspector Glenn Sullivan, unit commander Luke Sharrock and Monaro regional director Caron Parfitt.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Areas of the Murray River that were once unreachable for local rescuers are no longer off-limits.
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On Wednesday, July 15, Moama Marine Rescue officially took the keys to a brand-new eight-metre bow-loading punt ‒ a crucial upgrade driven by lessons learned during the 2022 floods.
The new vessel replaces one of the unit’s existing smaller boats and opens up waterway areas that were simply out of reach before.
The boat is designed for shallow water operations, allowing the unit to reach areas that were previously inaccessible to their other boats, according to Inspector Glenn Sullivan.
“It’s increased the capability of what the unit can actually do and assist with,” he said.
The vessel comes fully equipped with updated electronics and has been repowered to meet Marine Rescue's operational standards.
Monaro regional director Caron Parfitt passes the keys to the boat over to unit commander Luke Sharrock.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Mr Sullivan said the 2022 floods laid bare a critical gap in resources, spurring Marine Rescue to push hard for greater investment in inland waterway safety and stronger support for fellow emergency services.
“Now we’ve got two vessels that can perform rescues, support police divers, support RFS during times of fire, SES during times of flood,” he said.
The vessel was formally handed over to the unit at a special presentation attended by Marine Rescue NSW representatives, including Monaro district regional director Caron Parfitt.
She said the board was proud to support the unit in building its capabilities and expanding its resources.
“This area is a very important and busy waterway, and this vessel is ideal for the sort of waters that you have on the Murray... so I think it will be a great asset up here,” she said.
Ms Parfitt said it had been an honour to meet with the members of the unit during her visit.
“Just the dedication of the members ‒ everyone is so focused on being the best they can for the public,” she said.
“The way they go about making their decisions, setting their priorities ‒ it’s all geared towards becoming more qualified and increasing the safety of inland waterways.
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