A MARINE Search and Rescue (SAR) training weekend was held on Lake Jindabyne last weekend.
It made a lot noise and there was plenty of activity but it could save lives in the future.
It was a two day joint exercise designed to provide training for a multi-agency search and rescue event on the lakes and foreshores.
Participating agencies included the NSW Police Force, Marine Rescue NSW Alpine Lakes Unit, Fire & Rescue NSW Ambulance Service, NSW Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Fisheries, the State Emergency Service and the Region Emergency Management Officer.
A special thanks goes to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter-Moruya who travelled a long way to participate in the two hour exercise then had to return home again.
Inspector Anthony Hill from the Monaro Local Area Command facilitated the weekend of events starting on Saturday with theory based lectures and workshop at the Jindabyne Memorial Hall.
The workshop was designed to provide emergency service personnel with an understanding of Marine Search and Rescue planning methodology.
Outcomes were to practise the coordination of a marine search and rescue incident and familiarise personnel with vessels, equipment and capability across local emergency services with respect to marine search and rescue.
Saturday's program consisted of the roles and responsibilities in Inland Waterways SAR (Search and Rescue). The planning theory included, water current. leeway, drift error, sweep width, track spacing probability of detection and SAR area formulas and finally marine search patterns and techniques and an overview of practical on water exercises- SAR scenarios
A simulated search and rescue exercise was held on Lake Jindabyne on Sunday.
Inspector Hill who was in charge of the exercise and the Local Police Force were instrumental in the running of the scenarios.
Two realistic situations that required a search and rescue response were coordinated and targets placed in the water for the searching crews and vessels to find.
The first exercise was coordinated by the NSW Police Force and the second exercise was coordinated by Marine Rescue NSW Alpine Lakes Unit.
The method used in finding the targets was a coordinated parallel tracking search on the lake using agency vessels assisted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter from Moruya.
After a debrief of all the events of the day, members knew that the day's exercises were a positive learning tool that could be built upon again in the near future
