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Richmond rescue veterans recall first incidents at sea

The boats may have changed, scores of crew members have come and gone and the technology is light years ahead.
RCMSAR
RCMSAR Richmond veterans Barry Hastings (left) and Ron Robson have 66 years of volunteering service between them. Alan Campbell photo

The boats may have changed, scores of crew members have come and gone and the technology is light years ahead.

But, for Barry Hastings and Ron Robson, the sea is the sea; it hasn’t changed one bit in their combined 66 years of service with the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) in Richmond.

Hastings, 76, and Robson, 75, were recently recognized at RCMSAR’s B.C. annual general meeting for their years of volunteering.

Although neither of them are active crew members, they are still highly respected by the service and offer valuable mentoring and educational support when called upon.

In fact, Hastings can still recall his first rescue and the days the volunteer service had to twice rebrand, because too many people thought their mission was to save ducks or they were a government agency.

“At that time, it was called the Canadian Marine Rescue Association and they were all private, owner-operator vessels, just pleasure craft and power boats,” said Hastings, a former coast guard crew member of 35 years, who actually has RCMSAR’s Steveston Harbour-based vessel named after him.

“People thought we rescued ducks or something; so we changed our name to the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, which was the right way to go.

“But then people questioned why we were fundraising, saying, ‘you are government.’ So we had to change again.

“My first trip out (that I can recall), we rescued nine kayakers, down off the Sand Heads. A group of them had gone down to see the sea lions, but the currents had exhausted them, they were all over the place.”

Hastings recalled going out in a 40-foot pleasure boat in 12 knots.

“It was like herding sheep. We brought them back to Steveston.”

Robson - a former airline industry worker and realtor, who arrived at RCMSAR with 25 years’ volunteering experience in life saving examining and instructing as a volunteer – vividly remembers his first big rescue.

“A fisherman had his arm caught in a piece of machinery,” he said.

“His wrist was crushed and I had to perform first aid on him.”

Both men have filled various vital instruction, training and administration roles in the service over their decades and both have had to give up the sea many years ago for health reasons.

And both have great admiration for those still stepping up to the plate to volunteer for their community.

“I’m bloody proud of the people we have these days; the equipment they have to deal with and the situations,” added Hastings.

“But there are some parts that are still the same. The conditions change rapidly, the situation changes rapidly, you’re put there on night searches; it’s heavy seas and you’re bobbing around on a little boat, it’s interesting for sure.

“But you get the job done with your crew. That’s the satisfaction.”

If you would like to volunteer with Richmond’s RCMSAR, go online to RCMSAR10.org.