Two people were reported missing in the water off Towradgi Beach on Saturday when their boat overturned. Or at least that was the scenario presented to a group of elite Illawarra lifesavers taking part in Lifesaving Illawarra's annual search and rescue training at the weekend.
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The high-level training exercise utilised the services of a dummy - let's call him Bob - to act as one of the missing crewmen, whom the group of volunteers was tasked with locating and getting to safety as soon as possible.
Using seven lifesavers on jet-skis, support staff on the beach, and the aerial expertise of the Westpac Lifesaver 1 helicopter, Bob was located, loaded onto an inflatable boat and brought ashore for "treatment" in less than 10 minutes. He will, thankfully, live to fight another day.
These types of annual exercises, said Lifesaving Illawarra director, Anthony Turner, were vital in helping this elite group of volunteers hone their skills for use in real-life situations.
The 30-strong crew, known as the support operations team, is comprised of advanced-level lifesavers who have undergone specialist training above and beyond that of their regular counterparts.
They are the go-to team for search and rescue operations, and when not assisting clubs on the ground, can be found on jet-skis patrolling known "black spots" along the coast.
Mr Turner said Saturday's exercise was designed to test the crew's use of search patterns to locate missing individuals.
The inclusion of the rescue helicopter was a coup for the group and gave the volunteers a greater insight into how the aerial arm of the organisation operated and what type of search patterns it utilised.
"In any search and rescue operation the rescue helicopter would be involved, so it was extremely important to have them there for the exercise," Mr Turner said.
