The annual Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Volunteer Awards took place on Saturday, September 21, honouring the outstanding service of the organization’s volunteers and stations as recognized by their peers, the RCMSAR Board of Directors, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
Sooke, B.C. (September 21, 2024): For Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR), the last year can be described as both demanding and deeply fulfilling. More than 950 RCMSAR volunteers safely executed 499 search and rescue missions, saving the lives of 78 people and assisting a further 373 people. Volunteers honed their skills through 2,513 on-the-water training exercises to prepare for these missions, spanning a remarkable 6,266 hours. That’s the equivalent to nearly nine months of non-stop, 24/7 training. Each training session represents countless moments of preparation, teamwork, and commitment to ensuring that when a call for help comes, our volunteers are ready to respond swiftly and effectively.
“Each year RCMSAR sets aside a day to honour the remarkable achievements of individual volunteers who have demonstrated exceptional service within their communities, unwavering dedication to their crews, and invaluable contributions to our mission of saving lives on the water,” says Bill Riggs, RCMSAR’s Chief Executive Officer. “It is also a time to reflect on the collective contribution of over 900 amazing volunteers who put in over 60,000 hours of their own time to prepare and respond to marine emergencies. We all take great pride in our team’s role in saving lives on the water.”
We recognize the following RCMSAR volunteers for their outstanding service:
Volunteer of the Year Awards
- Volunteer of the Year
- Jenny Weston – Station 33 Oak Bay
- New Volunteer of the Year
- John de Bruyn – Station 5 Salt Spring Island
- Supporting Volunteer of the Year
- John Nunn – Station 37 Sooke
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) Administrative Excellence Medal
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- Kim Bentzon – Station 33 Oak Bay
- Doug Dickson – Station 59 Deep Bay
- John Maddalozzo – Station 12 Halfmoon Bay
- John Robertson – Station 2 North Vancouver
CCGA Exemplary Service Medal
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- Traey Lakeman, RCMSAR Board Chair
CCGA Leadership Medal
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- Duane Gee – Station 60 Comox
- Roger Wagstaff – Station 1 West Vancouver
- Chris Wickham – Station 34 Cowichan Bay
- Stephen Wiles – RCMSAR 34 Cowichan Bay
- Mark Winfield – Station 34 Cowichan Bay
- Dan Wright – Station 2 North Vancouver
Operational Merit Award
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- Olivier Girardeau, Paul McDonnell & Alison Scoon – Station 33 Oak Bay
CCGA Long Service Awards
40 Years of Service
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- Alex Muir – Station 33 Oak Bay
35 Years of Service
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- Ron Robson – Station 10 Richmond
30 Years of Service
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- David Payne – Station 38 Ucluelet
- Ryan Woodward – Station 5 Crescent Beach
25 Years of Service
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- Michael Cupit – Station 1 West Vancouver
- Nicholas Fortin – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Adrian Lee – Station 103 Vancouver
- Jim Lee – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Robert McCauley – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Simon Pearce – Station 10 Richmond
- Jurgen Pokrandt – Station 33 Oak Bay
- Phil Storey – Station 103 Vancouver
- Randy Strandt – Station 2 North Vancouver
20 Years of Service
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- Chris Ashurst – Station 45 Masset
- Peter Bolton – Station 60 Comox
- Bruce Chan – Station 2 North Vancouver
- William Chapeskie – Station 36 Sidney
- Dennis Cotter – Station 103 Vancouver
- John Enright – Station 103 Vancouver
- Campbell Good – Station 33 Oak Bay
- Graham Gueguen – Station 63 Kitimat
- Arthur Henry – Station 65 Lax Kw’alaams
- Timothy Huntsman – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Paul Mottershead – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Robert Pilkington – Station 20 Pender Island
- Ruth Sharun – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Doug Smith – Station 9 Port Alberni
- Steve Weckstrom – Station 36 Sidney
- Dwayne Wesley – Station 65 Lax Kw’alaams
- Ieuan Williamson – Station 27 Nanaimo
- Daniel Wright – Station 2 North Vancouver
RCMSAR CEO Commendation
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- Marie Gray – Station 106 Shuswap
- Ryan Matthews – Station 14 Gibsons
- Amber Sheasgreen – Station 64 Prince Rupert
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Top Missions
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- Station 34 Cowichan Bay: Vessel Taking on Water South of Fernie Island, August 14, 2023
- Station 65 Lax Kw’alaams: Diver Stuck Under Fishing Vessel, October 15, 2023
- Station 26 Sidney: Person on Top of Overturned Sailing Dinghy, February 25, 2024
– ENDS –
About Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue’s (RCMSAR) mission is “Saving lives on the water.” RCMSAR is a volunteer-based charitable organization that operates more than 30 marine rescue stations along the coast of British Columbia and inland waters. With over 900 volunteers, emergency response crews are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to respond to marine emergencies. RCMSAR volunteers also prevent emergencies by providing public boating safety information and conducting pleasure craft safety checks. They also offer free access to children’s lifejackets at PFD loaner stations located at more than 110 docks and marinas in the communities they serve through the Kids Don’t Float program.
Established in 1978 originally under the name the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary–Pacific, RCMSAR is called on to respond to marine emergencies by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in British Columbia through an agreement with the Canadian Coast Guard.
To arrange an interview with a volunteer at a local RCMSAR station in your community, contact:
Jan Hawkins
Manager of Fundraising
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue
Emails: funds.media@rcmsar.com
1-800-665-4757 ext. 103