|
“Facta non Verba” - Deeds not words
Coastguard Papakura is a not for profit organisation that has monthly outgoing expenses. We have no regular source of income to pay for these services and rely upon the generosity from our supporters, friends and sponsors. Without this local support Coastguard Papakura would fail to function and cease to exist. It is my job to make sure this does not occur.
Increasing expectation for our volunteers to be available 24hours a day and 7 days a week is becoming REAL. Papakura Coastguard are the unpaid professionals who volunteer numerous hours with no financial benefits and very little public recognition for the dangers encountered while training and assisting others in distress on the high seas. To be a Coastguard volunteer you are a unique individual and very caring person and sometime experience danger for others to live.
Our team of volunteers give up their evenings and weekends not to seek well deserved appreciation as a declaration for what we do “Saving lives at sea”, instead we do it to ensure our local community has a world class Search and Rescue team available when necessary.
We all need to take care around our shore lines, we need to educate and campaign safety at all times. Like most activities today an element of risk is involved. Education is the basis to prevent accidents from re occurring in the future. Papakura Coastguard will work towards delivering a more fun orientated presentation to ensure retention at school level and a more reality driven presentation to enforce at Adult level.
It is frightening to see the risks some will take for a $2 scallop? Food is more plentiful in extremely dangerous areas!
Coastguard resources are usually the difference between life and death on our water ways? A good share of Papakura Coastguard incidents are to the Weymouth area assisting stricken sea goers.
We work as part of a group, The Coastguard Norhern Regions - Tasman Alliance Group. We all attend to incidents or back each other up, on or beyond the notorious Manukau bar.
Shifting sand bars, heavy swell and breakers caused by prevailing westerly weather makes navigation and making way as fast and safely as possible extremely hazardous. West coast conditions are very punishing and even our toughest crew members have been physically and emotionally beaten on many occasions from the unforgiving elements and fatigue while searching for missing boats and sadly on occasion missing persons too. Due to the Dangerous tidal flows, mud banks and narrow channels many community members have become victim to the mighty Manukau Harbours 145 sq km of exposed sea bed that attracts harvesters at spring low tide and then 340 sq km of surface water quickly reclaims the harbour ensuring very high chance of being caught short of safety if you are not aware or familiar with the Manukau harbour.
Search and recovery is a large part of our role and duties due to unfortunate accidents of unaware and unfamiliar shoreline harvesters.
Papakura Coastguard, Manukau Coastguard, Waiuku Coastguard and ARC are working together to ensure adequate awareness is being delivered to local community.
We seek sponsors and business support to assist with ongoing day to day costs our unit incurs. Manukau is the third most populous city in New Zealand.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss any Coastguard matters.
Cedric Charlton Coastguard Papakura – President
(09) 2995668 or 0274661140
cedriccharlton@papakuracoastguard.co.nz
|
