It’s been a busy March for the Coastguard Sumner crew, with the team balancing emergency callouts, community events, and vital training.
The month kicked off with a significant multi-agency response at Naval Point, Lyttelton. Alongside Coastguard Canterbury, the Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade, and local club members, our teams on HamiltonJet Rescue and Blue Arrow Rescue assisted a yacht taking on water after striking a reef, while simultaneously rescuing a powerboat that had lost engine power nearby.
Our commitment to the local environment and community remained a top priority. Volunteers and residents joined forces for a successful beach clean-up, removing 12 large bags of debri, including unusual finds like a bike and a scooter batter, from our coastline.
We were also proud to support the annual SURFable sessions at Scarborough Beach, providing VHF radios to ensure the safety of 40 surfers from the disabled community as they took to the waves.
The end of the month brought high energy to Sumner with The Single Fin Mingle surf tournament. Our crew was jolted into action on the Saturday morning after a surfer was caught in a heavy rip at Scarborough. Thanks to a quick-thinking companion who activated the station’s emergency alarm, HamiltonJet Rescue was launched immediately, completing the rescue within minutes.
To round out a busy period, our volunteers focused on upskilling and local support. Crew members spent several hours performing bar crossing and man-overboard drills to ensure peak readiness for future callouts. Back on shore, the team traded lifejackets for lawn bowls, participating in the Sumner Bowling Club’s annual fundraiser to support the local community pool.