Going the Extra Mile to Save Lives at Sea

3 May 2017

Going the Extra Mile to Save Lives at Sea

Every hour of every day Coastguard volunteers around the country are standing by to assist, support and save lives at sea. They are ordinary people from all walks of life who dedicate their time to be highly trained in marine search and rescue.

Coastguard volunteers bring more than 6400 people home safely to their families each year thanks to the hours of training and the specialised boats and equipment they use. While Coastguard volunteers give their time for free, the training and equipment comes at a cost, one which Coastguard needs the public’s help to cover.

May sees the beginning of Coastguard’s annual MayDay appeal, calling for donations to help volunteers continue to go the extra mile and save lives at sea.

Coastguard is a charity and only receives 12 percent of its funds from the government.

“The remaining 88 percent of our funding comes from supportive organisations and individuals who recognise the importance of the work our volunteers do on the water, in the air and on land,” says Patrick Holmes, Coastguard CEO.

“Search and Rescue work comes with great responsibility, and the rigorous training our volunteers dedicate themselves to, ensures they meet the incredibly high standards required in our structured training programme.

“When members of the public give to Coastguard’s MayDay appeal, they are directly helping to ensure our volunteers can keep training and saving lives at sea,” says Holmes.

Coastguard’s annual MayDay appeal runs through to 31 May. For donations and fundraising ideas go to coastguard.co.nz.

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