By Nick Fearns from NiagaraThisWeek. July 13, 2022.
The unit provides search and rescue services to the residents and visitors of Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Wainfleet and Haldimand County
Nick Fearns/Metroland
Norm Dashwood, commander of Port Colborne Marine Auxiliary Rescue (POCOMAR), on board POCOMAR One, the group’s primary vessel. – Nick Fearns/Metroland
The group spent a total of 1,535 hours of on the water training in 2021. They added another 416 hours in the classroom.
Norm Dashwood, commander of POCOMAR, said the unit is “staffed 100 per cent by volunteers. It is a non-profit organization.”
POCOMAR has two vessels, a 34-foot custom-built steel cutter and a 24-foot jet boat for shallow water recovery.
Typically, he said, the ship would have a crew of five to seven. They are currently running with five crew members due to COVID. The group currently has 30 members.
“it’s important that people realize that we’re out here, that we don’t charge for our service,” said Dashwood.
POCOMAR’s season starts as soon as they can get out on the waters. The calls go into October and November.
“If we’ve had a relatively calm summer, we have a relatively low search and rescue operation count,” he said. “If the weather is blustery a lot and the waves are high, we tend to have more calls.”
“People need to wear a life-jacket when they go (out),” said Dashwood, adding that “A hundred per cent of the times that we don’t recover somebody, it’s because they weren’t wearing their life-jacket.”
Dashwood noted that they are not funded to operate, instead raising money on their own. He said they receive money from the Coast Guard, the city and a few other sources.
About two years ago, he said, the vessel got about $250,000 in upgrades, including an 18-foot inflatable and a crane to launch it.
Inside the cockpit, the ship has electronics, including a camera capable of infrared and locking onto a target
Dashwood is clearly proud when he says the ship is “probably one of the best equipped vessels in the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Fleet.”
The president of the Sugarloaf Sailing Club, James Sherk, said POCOMAR “absolutely” helps to put his mind at ease when he is on the water.
“They do a great service to the community,” said Sherk.
The sailing club has around 25 members. Ninety per cent of the members have a sail boat, said Sherk.
So far this year, Sherk said, he has only been out a handful of times. Last year, it was nearly every day.
Sherk echoed the call for life jackets.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” said Sherk. “Use common sense.”
“Don’t go out if it is looking rough,” he advised.
Another piece of advice he had was to stay seated when the vessel was in motion.
Both Sherk and Dashwood warned boaters to be ready; due to an average depth of only 62 feet, or 18.89 meters, Lake Erie can quickly warm up and turn choppy.
The group is always looking for new recruits or donations, said Dashwood.
He said there is a selection process. The first step is reaching out and contacting the organization.
For water emergencies, reach POCOMAR on Channel 16 VHF Radio, dial *16 on a cellphone or call 1-800-267-7270 for the Canadian Coast Guard.
