Guardian Marine Rescue is looking for people who want to help be a part of the volunteer search and rescue service in Windsor-Essex.
The volunteer unit of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary provides marine search and rescue support across Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River with crew members operating out of Colchester and Belle River.
Its crews respond to emergencies, assist disabled vessels, and help ensure the safety of boaters throughout Essex County's waterways.
Coxswain with Guardian Marine Rescue Tyler Burniston says they are usually in the water by April and are recruiting now so they can provide the necessary training before the season begins.
Burnistan says they have 20 volunteers, but they're looking for around six new recruits, four to help with the Colchester station and two at the Belle River station.
He says volunteers must be at least 18-years-old.
"They have to have a pleasure craft operator card, a standard boater's license, and then that's pretty much it. Once they get onboard, we train them in-house and through the Coast Guard Auxiliary training as well and go from there," he says.
"Anytime some sort of marine emergency comes in, they will dispatch us out," he says. "Whether it's on the Colchester side or the Belle River side, we gather a crew, and we go out and respond to the emergency, whether that's a medical emergency, a broken-down vessel, a sunken vessel, a missing person, a missing boat, or all sorts of different incidents."
Burniston says their volunteers come from all age groups and walks of life.
"We have some first responders; we have people with no first responder background. Guys who worked in the Chrysler plant or currently work in the Chrysler plant. We have guys who are government workers. It's a little bit of everything. There's not like one specific type we're looking for because everybody brings their own skills to the table," he says.
Volunteer crew members receive training in vessel operations, navigation, radio communications, and emergency response procedures while also gaining real-world experience operating rescue vessels.
Applications are open until February 28, but positions are limited. Click here to find more information.