A generous Wollongong business community has raised more than $36,000 for the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter southern service operations.
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A gala dinner at City Beach Function Centre on Friday was coordinated by a team of Illawarra based Westpac staff who volunteered their time. And around 200 people attended the first of what could become an annual event.
James Cudmore, the Westpac state general manager retail, regional NSW and ACT, said the oldest civilian search and rescue service in Australia started in 1973 with just one helicopter in Sydney.
But over the last 40 years it has grown to 17 helicopters flying from 13 bases across the nation. During that time the service had performed more than 70,000 missions.
“Today the service covers 84 per cent of Australia’s population in the summer months. Not one person has ever had to pay to be rescued,” he said.
“The southern service has..completed over 23,500 rescue missions with thousands of lives saved.”
Stephen Leahy, the chief executive officer of Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopters, said fundraising efforts went towards maintenance of the service and improvements such as the arrival of night vision goggles that will be fully implemented in coming months.
“That adds to our capabilities..and certainly makes our night time flying a lot safer,” he said.
“But that comes at an incredible cost. $360,000 has already been spent on aircraft modifications, equipment and training.”
Mr Leahy said during the last 12 months the southern service had performed more than 430 rescue missions.
And on any given day more than six million people have access to the two helicopters that service the southern region from Sydney and Moruya.
“A quarter of Australia’s population has direct access to the two helicopters here in southern NSW. You will no doubt recall the East Coast Low that hit this area fairly substantially only a couple of months ago. Both our helicopters in less than eight hours performed 13 rescue missions in flood waters and in raging seas.”
Mr Leahy said that included one period of 90 minutes where six individual rescues were performed that helped eight people survive.
He said the service pledged to support every community it could when there is a need. And does so quickly. From the time the emergency phone rings until the helicopter lifts off the ground is generally four minutes.
A large cross section of the business community was represented. Among the enthusiastic supporters of the night was Michael Kollaras.