Australian Search and Rescue Award
The Australian Search and Rescue Award is presented by the National Search and Rescue (SAR) Council. The National SAR Council trusts that this award will not only give recognition to those involved in search and rescue in Australia but will raise community awareness about their efforts.
The Award
The Australian Search and Rescue Award will only be awarded when a suitable candidate is chosen by the selection committee from the nominations. If in the opinion of the selection committee, there is no entry of sufficiently high standard to qualify, the award may not be made for any given year. However, all nominees will be considered for commendations for their achievements and service to search and rescue.
Judging of nominations will be on the basis of information contained in the nomination form and supporting documentation. However, nominees may also be required to attend an interview with the selection committee prior to the announcement of the name of the successful award nominee. The decision of the selection committee will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
History of Award
The award has been presented since 1996, with the inaugural winners being Senior Constable Aherne, Senior Constable Griffiths and MICA Officer Lamb of the Victorian Police Air Wing for their efforts in the rescue of three men stranded on a sinking trawler in Bass Strait on 23 August 1995. In the same year two Highly Commended Awards were presented to Mr Kevin Bald for his efforts in the rescue of a man off Kangaroo Island and to Sergeant Richard Mostard of the Bairnsdale Water Police, Victoria for the rescue of a person from an upturned trimaran south east of Gabo Island.
Others to receive the award included:
1997: Mr Pete Goss from the United Kingdom for his spectacular rescue of fellow competitor, Raphael Dinelli in the Southern Ocean during the Vendee Round the World Yacht Race in 1996. The selection committee felt that Mr Goss' efforts went far beyond bravery in that he not only planned and executed a successful search and rescue for Mr Dinelli, but he also then saw to Mr Dinelli's recovery during the trip to Hobart where Mr Dinelli was put ashore. Steven and Barbara Karadin of the Bar Point Base of the Rescue and Radio Communication Club on the Hawkesbury were awarded a certificate of commendation for their commitment to search and rescue in the same year.
1998: The New South Wales Police Service was the successful nominee for the Australian Search and Rescue Award for 1998 for the coordination of the Thredbo land slide incident. The three police members most involved in the coordination of the rescue effort, Chief Superintendent Johnston, Superintendent Sanderson and Inspector Garry Smith accepted the award from the NSW Police Minister on behalf of the NSW Police Service. Inspector Maurice Massie (rtd) from the Tasmanian Police Service was awarded a letter of Commendation for his commitment to search and rescue throughout his illustrious career in policing in Tasmania. He was one of the founding members of the National Search and Rescue Council.
1999: Mr Ron O'Connor, a radio operator with the Solander Division of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association was presented with the Australian Search and Rescue Award for 1999 for the commitment he had displayed over the past twenty-two years in both boat work and out of hours radio watchkeeping. Senior Constables Bryant and Long were presented with letters of commendation for their rescue of seven members of the Port Macquarie Sea Rescue Group. The Sea Rescue members were thrown into the water following the capsizing of their boats on the bar at the entrance of the Hastings River, Port Macquarie during a late night rescue operation.
2000: The crews of Helimed 1, an aeromedical helicopter operating from the Latrobe Valley in Victoria were unanimously selected to receive the Australian Search and Rescue Award in 2000 for their longstanding service to search and rescue in the New South Wales/Victorian/Tasmanian area of Australia and the waters therein for the past eleven years. The Governor General, Sir William Dean presented the award to a selected crew of Helimed 1. Mr Richard Winning, the skipper of the yacht Winston Churchill that was lost during the ill-fated Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 1998 attended the award ceremony at Government House. The Helimed 1 crew receiving the award rescued, amongst others, the survivors of the Winston Churchill, including Mr Winning.
2001: Superintendent Gordon Wellings (rtd) of the NSW Police Service was presented with the Australian Search and Rescue Award for 2001 for his tireless commitment to search and rescue throughout his career with the NSW Water Police and in particular for his efforts as a longstanding member of the National Search and Rescue Council.
The award was not presented in 2002 or 2003.
2004: Mr Barry McCann and the members of the Tasmanian Smallcraft Marine Radio Group (TSMRG) received the Australian Search and Rescue Award for 2004. Barry McCann was a co-founder of the TSMRG in 1976 and has been continuously involved in the group since that time. He is now a director of the Group. The TSMRG, operating as TASMAR Radio, was the only existing radio station to be chosen by the Australian Maritime Group to be part of the new National Coast Radio Network. TASMAR moved into the Hobart Radio site at Bruny Island and took on the callsign of Coast Radio Hobart. They are now engaged in training more volunteer operators so that the Hobart Radio site can become the permanent home of Coast Radio Hobart.
A number of other nominees for the 2004 Award were honoured with certificates of commendation. They were QF17 Tin Can Bay AVCG unit; Mr Ron Melton the Manager of Volunteer Marine Rescue Services in the Queensland Department of Emergency Services; Senior Constable Lewis Hynd, Western Australia Police Service; and Sergeant James Whitehead, Queensland Police Service.
2005: Dr Paul Luckin received the 2006 Award for the provision of professional advice to SAR authorities on survivability over the past 30 years. Decisions in many incidents have been influenced by the advice provided by Dr Luckin, the most notable being the search for the Columbian businessman lost on Moreton Island, QLD in May 2005. Dr Luckin’s advice was optimal. Ricardo Sirutis was found barely alive by searchers on the tenth day of the search. Without the supporting opinions of the survivability of the missing person given by Dr Luckin, there is every probability that the search effort would have been reduced, which may have resulted in a less than optimal outcome for both the missing person and the QPS alike.
The crew and support staff of the Hunter Region SLSA Helicopter Rescue Service were commended by the National SAR Council for their outstanding support of the NSW Police and federal SAR authorities over the past 30 years.
2006: Mr Michael Stringer, a long-standing member of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (RVCP) received the 2007 Award for his continued and outstanding commitemt to search and rescue in the Australian region. With over 33 years experience with the RVCP, Michael is a highly skilled coxswain of the Coastal Patrol's 52 foot ARUN class and 44 foot WAVENEY class lifeboats operated from Syndey Harbour. During this time Michael has been involved in over 860 rescue missions, many of them in extremely dangerous conditions.
Mr Chris Gillett, National Commodore, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard and Mrs Margie Mason, radio operator with the RVCP at Port Victoria, SA were commended by the National SAR Coucil for their dedicated service to search and rescue in the Australian region.
2007: The 2007 award has been made to the Tasmania Police Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service for their involvement in over 700 incidents since beginning operations and in particular, was involved in the rescue of a Japanese solo sailor from a yacht some 120 nms SW of Tasmania in very poor weather and challenging sea conditions. In response Mr Corbin thanked the Council for the Award. He noted that the award is for the whole of the team involved in the Rotor Lift company and for all those involved in the helicopter rescue service.
Award Criteria
This prestigious award is in recognition of 'Outstanding contribution to search and rescue' within the Australian region. The successful nominee will have made a significant contribution to Australia's search and rescue ability or to the saving of a human life.
The award is open to any individual or organisation and may relate to a particular event or a sustained contribution over a period of time.
Nominations
Nominations should be completed using an official nomination form and forwarded by 27 September 2008 to:
The Secretary
National SAR Council
GPO Box 2181
Canberra City ACT 2601
Nominations in electronic format may be emailed to the secretary.
Further information can be obtained by contacting the secretary.