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Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club
LERT Focus
Dear Members,
Welcome to this special edition of The Bulletin. We have put out this email update because I wanted to recognise the remarkable contribution our LERT Patrol made in the recent search for the missing diver.
As you will know a diver went missing off Point Lonsdale on 7 July and whilst sadly the diver has not been recovered the efforts of our LERT Patrol in their participation of the search activities are worthy or the special recognition and appreciation of our Club and Community.
Our LERT Patrol played a crucial role in the search under the most difficult and challenging conditions and I would like to personally thank the LERT team for their extraordinary efforts.
LERT is emerging as a vital element of the contribution the Point Lonsdale Surf Lifesaving Club makes to emergency services in the Bellarine region and our team have demonstrated their commitment and leadership in Lifesaving.
Michael Doery
President
LERT History
In 2007 the Club committed to provide a formal 'out of hours' response group by creating a Lifesaving Emergency Response Team (LERT), which came about following a request from Life Saving Victoria and by statements in the Club's Strategic Plan.
The concept was to have a team of trained members able to respond to emergencies, meeting our Emergency Management obligations to Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria while also providing a service ' beyond the flags' at peak periods. It would also hopefully assist with active membership retention - giving more senior members who had done years of service on the beach a way of staying involved and not losing their experience.
In 2008 the first group of LERT members were recruited and inducted and a management structure was established and during the 2008 Winter four LERT members (along with four LERT members from 13th Beach SLSC) were trained and assessed for their Rescue Water Craft (RWC) Certificate by Life Saving Victoria.
In the lead up to the Summer of 2008 / 2009 we purchased our first RWC (largely funded by the Club) and that Summer we worked alongside the 13th Beach SLSC to provide RWC patrols across the Bellarine District completing several rescues outside of the patrolled beaches, supported patrols and lifeguards and attended several special events. We also commenced a program to train more members to gain their RWC Certificate and moved into our new home in the new Storage Shed at the Clubhouse.
In late 2010 a second RWC was purchased, (largely with the assistance of a grant from the RACV Foundation) which added to the safety of RWC operation allowing 2 RWCs to work alongside each other without the need to rely on the 13th Beach RWC and that Summer RWC Patrols were extensively conducted along the Bellarine District again with several rescues and callouts.
During the Winter of 2011 LERT members undertook extensive fundraising to raise funds to allow for the purchase of a new RWC with the trade in of the original RWC and we commenced our third RWC Course.
Since LERT was established 29 rescues have been performed using the RWCs and a total of 17 callouts undertaken.
A key element since 2008 has been training and education and a wide range of training programs have occurred. Each member undertakes an Induction Half Day, Each Season there is a LERT Training Day, a RWC Requal and Information Session is held each Season for RWC Operators / Trainees, and there has been targeted training including a tour of the Lonsdale Lighthouse Communications Centre (Lonsdale VTS), Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency Courses, Introduction to Emergency Management Course and the Introduction to Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS).
Missing SCUBA Diver Search
On the afternoon of 7th July the Club's LERT was alerted to the fact that a search was underway for a missing SCUBA diver off Point Lonsdale. As there was limited light left for LERT to assist with a water search on observation of proceedings occurred and members were placed on standby in case our assistance may be required the next day or on shore. Later that evening the SES were about to commence a land search along nearby beaches and at this stage the SES were altered by LERT that we could assist with our 2 ATVs. This offer of assistance was quickly welcomed and both the Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff ATV assisted that evening to ferry SES members to conduct their shoreline search along the beach from Point Lonsdale lighthouse to Collendina.
The next day (Day 2) the SES requested our assistance with both ATVs which continued all day both inside Port Phillip and along the coast and in the afternoon both RWCs joined to search at high tide when beach access was limited. The Ocean Grove SLSC assisted LERT this day with their 4WD and IRBs.
On Day 3 the ATVs and 1 RWC rejoined the search along with the Ocean Grove 4WD and IRBs.
On Day 4 and 5 our ATVs again assisted the SES with shoreline searching and ferrying SES personnel along beach areas until lunchtime on Day 5 when the search was called off by the Police.
LERT personnel involved included Matt Baenziger, Paul Copeland, Rowan Cross, Tony Hodder, Paul Lunny, Matthew Ponsford and Peter Sutas - (many did more than 1 day).
Notwithstanding the tragedy of the event there was a great deal of benefit in terms of testing our equipment, processes, allowing for people to undertake roles that they had only done theory on, as well as raising our profile amongst the emergency services (we received a letter of thanks from SES) and community.
A debrief with the Bellarine SES in scheduled for next week at the Club.
Media Snapshot - SCUBA Diver Search
From the Geelong Advertiser - 12th July 2012:
SHREDDED gear belonging to a diver who went missing off Point Lonsdale more than five days ago suggests a shark may be behind her mystery disappearance.
Karen Lee's equipment was discovered at the bottom of the ocean but her body hasn't been found.
The search for the Preston woman, 42, was called off yesterday and police have confirmed that, if their suspicions of shark involvement are right, there is little chance her remains will ever be found.
Mystery surrounds how Ms Lee could have taken off her diving belt, buoyancy gear, mask, and tank under the water.
Acting Sergeant Ryan Hartshorne, of Police Search and Rescue, said it was possible she was mauled by a shark while she was in trouble.
"Her dive vest and gear had been shredded and it looks like something very strong has either cut or bitten through it," Sgt Hartshorne said.
"She was completely removed from all her gear. It looks as if something has chomped down on the buckles and got to her.
"(Or) it could be that something has bitten through it (her dive gear) and that's why she's gone down."
A search of the area by police divers at the time of Ms Lee's disappearance found no signs that a shark had been in the area.
When questioned, Dive Victoria staff and other divers on board the charter boat said they did not see a shark in the water.
Department of Primary Industries spokesman Tim Mitchell said there had been no reports of increased shark activity in the area.
Other local divers, however, have reported encounters with Great White Sharks at the Ships Graveyard, where Ms Lee was last seen.
Sgt Hartshorne said marine animals were often quick to feed off human remains, making the search for a body almost impossible.
Police had again questioned Ms Lee's dive partner yesterday.
Though the disappearance was baffling, investigators did not believe Ms Lee had met with foul play, Sgt Hartshorne said.
"Usually when we get to people, they are still with their gear. I've never been down to find someone's gear and they're not there," he said. "It might be that (in future) something washes up, something that floats.
"In this case it could be a bootie, a flipper or a glove that she was wearing."
Police, SES and lifesavers made one last attempt to find Ms Lee before the search was called off, using excavators on the beach at Pt Lonsdale to dig under seaweed until just before 2pm. But no further clues were found.
SES regional manager Mark Cattell thanked the community and lifesavers for their support during the search operation.
"Everyone will be keeping an eye out on the beach, the public will let us know if they see anything," he said.
"The public have been particularly supportive of what's been going on."
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
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Mon, Wed & Sat (Year Round).
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