PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)
Sarnia

Volunteer Heroes Get Upgrades For Rescue Boat (GALLERY)

A group of volunteers that make up PointSAR Marine Rescue have some new tech thanks to a local donor.

To commemorate the rescue organization's 10th anniversary, the Judith and Norman Alix Foundation donated more than $33,000 to upgrade all of the electronics on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat.

Sarnia Police Chief and PointSAR Vice President Norm Hansen says they have never received such a generous contribution.

"We're a bunch of volunteers that go out and rescue people on the lake or the river all the way down from Sombra and up to Grand Bend, and the donation we got from the Alix Foundation was outstanding," says Hansen. "The equipment we were able to buy is going to increase our efficiency by being able to get straight out to a rescue."

Hansen says the upgrades allowed them to replace old hardware that had become outdated and at times did not function properly.

CCGA Director and PointSAR unit leader Clive Worton says now, they probably have the best navigation and location equipment of anyone out on the water.

"It's all touch screen just like you would have on an iPad or a tablet, so it makes it very easy to operate that way," says Worton. "We can automatically bring up anything on here that we want just by touching and changing screens."

The donation also supplied the boat with a new lighting system to assist PointSAR when the sun goes down.

New electronic equipment on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)New electronic equipment on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)

New lights on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)New lights on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)

New electronic equipment on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)New electronic equipment on PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)

PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)PointSAR's Zodiac rescue boat. June 21, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)

Read More Local Stories