Local lifesavers get to the chopper

ANGLESEA SLSC member Wayne Cartwright recently oversaw the completion of winch training for all 11 Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service (WLRHS) crew members in his role as Chief Crewman.

The new rescue helicopter with winch capability was introduced to the service last year.

Now the training is complete, patients can be winched into the helicopter from land or sea, and rescuers can be lowered into hard-to-reach areas.

Water rescues will always be the service’s natural task, given the crew’s background in the ocean, but they can also now be used more often by Emergency Management Victoria.

The helicopter previously had a static line, so it could do aerial searches over land but no rescues over land or a long way out to sea.

“The addition of the winch gives us both coastal and inland capabilities to search for and rescue people in trouble,” Mr Cartwright said.”The helicopter was previously used primarily for aquatic rescues, but can now really help and make an impact on the whole of Victoria.”

Last season, Mr Cartwright clocked up the most patrol hours of any lifesaver across the whole of Victoria.

He is one of three winch operators in the service, which has a base at the Barwon Heads airport.

He said the hardest part of the winch training was being able to paint the picture of where the aircraft was to the pilot, and relaying the hazards while operating in and close to trees.

“There are really small margins for error when there’s just a few metres clearance to trees or a cliff face; there’s a sense of trust involved and communication is paramount.

“That kind of trust is built up over a long period of time and we’re really lucky to have a good team of people to rely upon.”

The WLRHS crew, including Liam O’Callaghan and Alex Schwarcz (Fairhaven SLSC), Jack Slykhuis (Lorne SLSC) and Will Paatsch (Jan Juc SLSC), were trained by an expert in the field.

“The trainer was impressed with the water skills of our crew,” Mr Cartwright said. “That’s where we excel. Our crew come with knowledge and skills in the water built up from a life in and around the ocean as Nippers and beach lifesavers – you can’t necessarily teach those skills.”

To donate to the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service, head to westpacrescue.com.au.