On hearing a mayday distress call that a young girl was having a severe seizure off the coast of Steveston, the crew of the Jimmy Ng rushed to the scene.
Within a few minutes, the team from the volunteer Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Station 10 in Richmond had her and her distraught father safely ashore and in the hands of the paramedics.
She went on to make a full recovery and it's for that reason the crew - Coxswain Kevin Robertson, Richard Lowe, Ryan Kniepkamp, and Jason Boer - were awarded for their excellence after an outstanding Fraser River mission.
It was in early August that the crew took Station 10's rescue boat out training at the end of the long weekend.
In anticipation of weekend boaters returning home from a fun weekend, the volunteers knew it could be critical to be on the water and available.
And after a successful day of training, the crew overheard the nearby mayday about the young girl in trouble.
While addressing his colleagues at the awards, Robertson highlighted the importance of training as he and the crew relied on their training to excel in a stressful situation.
He also stressed how important clear communication is amongst the crew and how that ensured a safe mission for all.
The award was a just end to what turned out to be one of the busiest summer seasons on record for the volunteer station, the busiest in B.C.
Robertson was also recognized for his dedication to search and rescue on the Pacific coast.
He was one of only two coxswains from B.C. to be selected for an advanced training program in Scotland. The program, run by the world famous Royal National Lifeboat Institute in Great Britain, will allow Robertson to train local rescuers, further enhancing the safety of Richmond's boaters.
