With boating season just around the corner, marine search and rescue (SAR) services are preparing themselves to ensure the well-being of boaters, offering assistance and peace of mind in times of need.  Guardian Marine Rescue is one such service.

Originally named Colchester Guardian Rescue Inc when it first launched back in 2012, the non-profit recognized that, with such a vast amount of coastline in Essex County, many local residents were swimming, boating and using other inflatable devices to enjoy the water and that there was a need to provide safety support to them.

With the addition of a second vessel this year, all members decided that the time was right to change their name to Guardian Marine Rescue to better reflect the areas where they provide their services.  The new vessel, named the Lakeshore Alida, will be based out of the Belle River Marina, and will provide support to citizens using the waterways of Lake St Clair and the northern end of the Detroit River.

The original vessel, named the Colchester Guardian, will continue to be based out of Colchester and will provide coverage to Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

Each year, as soon as the ice is clear, Guardian Marine Rescue is ready to get to work. This year, they have been in the water and working since April 4.

Service is provided on a 24/7 basis during the normal service periods of March/April to November/December, depending upon the weather.

Guardian Marine Rescue differs from commercial tow vessels by providing services free of charge to the community.

In the last three years, Guardian Marine Rescue has responded to over 25 calls for service. Calls are normally related to persons in the water, vessels taking on water, grounded vessels, capsized vessels, and vessels adrift. Over half the calls during this period were for assistance to disabled vessels.

Typically, calls come in when the weather is not ideal making it difficult for other vessels to help without the specialized equipment found onboard a SAR vessel.

In addition to supporting smaller vessels like the incident where a sailboat with ripped sails had run out of gas and was adrift, Guardian Marine Rescue has been called in to support larger incidents such as the engine room fire aboard the Cuyahoga, a bulk cargo ship. While the ship’s crew was able to get the fire under control, fire at sea is extremely dangerous and could have led to the crew having to abandon ship.

Guardian Marine Rescue is part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA). The Coast Guard reaches out to Guardian Marine Rescue to fill gaps in times of heightened need. And while the Canadian Coast Guard station has full-time SAR specialists at the station at all times, Guardian Marine Rescue is required to make a call out to the full crew when activated.

Those who are available to respond will deploy.  Guardian Marine Rescue is required to have at least one coxwain-qualified member on board who acts as the crew leader for the call.

Once there are enough volunteers on board, they depart.  The number of volunteers required depends on the type of call that comes in and the urgency of the call.

In order for SAR efforts to be activated, Guardian Marine Rescue must be contacted by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) at Canadian Forces Base, Trenton.

This office is staffed 24/7 and coordinates SAR efforts for a large part of Canada with additional offices on the east and west coasts. In order to activate these services, there are three options:

• Use Marine VHF radio on Channel 16 (156.8 MHZ) to reach Sarnia Coast Guard Radio who will reach out to JRCC
• dial *16 on their cell phone to reach Sarnia Coast Guard Radio who will reach out to JRCC
• Contact 911 – operators will reach out to JRCC

With the Leamington Fire Boat rescue not operating this season, Guardian Marine Rescue will be the only SAR asset in the region of Lake Erie apart from the full-time coast guard station.

In addition to providing support to the Coast Guard, Guardian Marine Rescue also hosts public education forums.  General safety information is shared on their social media sites while they are available to deliver waterborne safety information sessions for requesting organizations.

As a non-profit organization, Guardian Marine Rescue receives funding through various channels.  CCGA cover some costs directly related to SAR incident response but training, gas and equipment are all covered by direct donation from corporate sponsors, community organizations and individual members of the public.

They  also run fundraising community events such as the upcoming Pasta and Trivia night being organized by Shine Hospitality in Harrow on May 3.

Guardian Marine Rescue regularly recruits for volunteers to work in both the Search and Rescue team as well as in fundraising.  Anyone who is interested in participating is welcome to apply by using the form on the website.

To contact Guardian Marine Rescue:

Facebook: Guardian Marine Rescue

Instagram: @Guardian Marine Rescue

Website: www.guardianmarinerescue.ca

Photos provided by Guardian Marine Rescue