Marine Rescue NSW volunteers awarded Emergency Services Medal

Four Marine Rescue NSW members have been recognised on the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours list.

Central Coast Unit Commander Ian Morrow, Botany Port Hacking volunteer and Marine Rescue NSW Board member Robert (Bob) Wilson, long-serving Wooli member Jacquelyn Taffs and Shoalhaven volunteer Raymond Jones have been named Emergency Services Medal recipients.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell congratulated the group and said being awarded the Emergency Services Medal is a fitting tribute for their service.

“Ian, Bob, Jackie and Ray’s dedication to their respective units and communities make them all worthy recipients of the Emergency Services Medal.

“To have people of their calibre amongst our ranks is a real asset for our service.

“Marine Rescue NSW is extremely thankful for their commitment to the service and the NSW boating community,”

Commissioner Barrell said.

Ian Morrow – Marine Rescue Central Coast

Ian Morrow joined the then Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol in 2007 serving over 15 years in a volunteer capacity and at the time of the formation of Marine Rescue NSW in July 2009 was a qualified and highly experienced Coxswain and Watch Officer. While originally joining the Central Coast Unit, he has during his service also volunteered and assisted the Marine Rescue Newcastle Unit in various capacities.

Mr Morrow has become one of the region’s leading trainer/assessor and educators for Marine Rescue NSW members on water and in radio operations. In addition to his training and education roles, he has been involved in a large number of rescues and assists over the years.

His confidence, knowledge, and ability as a Coxswain to undertake all manner of assists and rescues using his vast experience and common sense is exemplary.

During the 2022 Flood emergency, like many Marine Rescue NSW volunteers, Mr Morrow coordinated and led the Central Coast Unit team to assist with flood relief for properties on the MacDonald River near Wiseman’s Ferry.

In June 2022, Mr Morrow skippered Central Coast 21 which was involved in an 11-hour rescue of a distressed vessel 20 nautical miles east of Terrigal along with Central Coast 30. Mr Morrow and his crew shadowed CC 30 due to sea conditions until both rescue boats were around five nautical miles off Avoca where CC 21 took the tow for the long trip to Bayview.

In 2021, Mr Morrow was tasked to rendezvous with a Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie vessel off Redhead escorting a 30-foot cruiser with intermittent engine issues and possibly taking on water. The sea conditions leaving Newcastle were atrocious with four to five metre swell and winds blowing at more than 25 knots. The cruiser with five people on board made it to safely Newcastle Harbour with the rescue well commanded by Mr Morrow.

Mr Morrow is a qualified trainer and assessor with the TAFE Cert IV in Training and Assessment and while primarily involved with the Central Coast and Newcastle Units, he has become the subject matter expert in ongoing training for the region’s Coxswains and Watch Officers. Mr Morrow is also a qualified NSW Boat Licence trainer for which he has trained members of the public and Marine Rescue NSW members to obtain their NSW boat licences. Throughout Mr Morrow’s years of service, his dedication to training has been without question, and in the last few years he has added administration of Marine Rescue Units to his abilities and experience.

In 2015, Mr Morrow became Deputy Unit Commander of the Newcastle Unit for four years while also undertaking the role of Operations Officer, Trainer and Assessor and Training Systems Officer for both the Newcastle and Central Coast Units. He was elected Unit Commander of the Central Coast Unit in 2022 and as a sign of his dedication continues with training and other related duties at the Newcastle Unit.

Mr Morrow has been heavily involved in regional and inter-regional Search and Rescue Exercises with Marine Rescue NSW and other agencies. Beyond the Newcastle and Central Coast Units, He is a highly regarded trainer and assessor for all levels of vessel operations for Marine Rescue NSW and has contributed to training for a range of Marine Rescue NSW Units and has conducted training for state-wide courses for vessel Crew, Leading Crew and Coxswain. He has worked closely with NSW Police Marine Area Command in his region and undertaken voluntary duties with Marine Area Command Sydney.

Mr Morrow’s contribution to Marine Rescue NSW in numerous roles, operational courage and willingness to share his extensive knowledge and experience to build the safety and professionalism of his fellow volunteers is driven by an abiding and selfless commitment to service.

Robert Wilson – Marine Rescue Botany Port Hacking

Robert Wilson has served the community of NSW with distinction as a Marine Rescue volunteer for more than 15 years. Mr Wilson is a member of the Botany Port Hacking Unit and has contributed greatly to the organisation both on the water and in key leadership positions.

He has served in a variety of roles at the Botany Port Hacking Unit such as operational Marine Rescue NSW Vessel Crew, Deputy Unit Commander, Treasurer and Public Engagement and Fundraising Officer.

In a broader organisational contribution, he was Company Secretary of Marine Rescue NSW for a five-year period when it came into being on 1 July 2009. In 2010 he was elected as a Director of the Board of Marine Rescue NSW for the Greater Sydney Region and served for four years until 2014. For the past five years he has served as a General Director after being elected in 2018.

In addition to his leadership attributes, Mr Wilson has recorded hundreds of hours of sea time encompassing search and rescue operations within enclosed waters and offshore. These operations vary in terms of seriousness and complexity and range from routine breakdowns to life-threatening situations. On many occasions, he has often put himself in harm’s way to ensure the safety and wellbeing of others. Mr Wilson has also been involved in sensitive offshore operations as a senior crew member of Marine Rescue Botany Port Hacking.

In 2015, Mr Wilson was on board Marine Rescue Botany 30 for a multi-agency rescue after a vessel ran aground at Cape Solander and became jammed on rocks. Four people were safely retrieved by PolAir.

He previously assisted in an emergency operation in which a boater had suffered an extensive propeller injury to his legs. Mr Wilson performed first aid prior to the patient being transported to hospital.

Mr Wilson is widely respected for his skill and professionalism. He has been involved in numerous challenging search and rescue operations in response to traumatic emergencies and his care and compassion for those in need is also extended to his fellow volunteers.

Mr Wilson has participated in many joint water and boating safety programs representing Marine Rescue NSW including as a member of the Black Spot Program education team alongside representatives from Fisheries, Maritime and the Recreational Fish Association which focused on Rock Fishing Safety and the Life Jacket program for fishers in the areas from Coogee to La Perouse.

He has contributed greatly to the safety of the NSW boating community, serving with distinction, dedication and commitment to the highest standards of service and saving lives on the water.

Jacquelyn Taffs – Marine Rescue Wooli

Jacquelyn Taffs has served the community of NSW with distinction as a Marine Rescue NSW volunteer for more than 20 years. Mrs Taffs is a dedicated and selfless member of the Marine Rescue Wooli Unit on an isolated stretch of the Northern Rivers coastline. Mrs Taffs has supported the surrounding Northern Rivers Marine Rescue Units with leadership, mentoring and training whilst performing key roles within her own unit such as Base Operations Officer, Watch Officer and Radio Operator.

Mrs Taffs joined the Marine Unit of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association at Wooli in June 2002. In 2009, with the formation of the new Marine Rescue NSW, the unit became Marine Rescue Wooli. The unit keeps watch over the Wooli River, its hazardous bar and exposed offshore waters on an isolated stretch of the Northern Rivers coastline. It operates with a small pool of volunteers drawn from the Wooli village of 350 residents, requiring a major commitment of time and effort from all 21 unit members.

Mrs Taffs lengthy and varied experience sees her act as a valued mentor and advocate for her volunteer colleagues where she is recognised as a champion for the female members of Marine Rescue NSW, providing leadership and support to encourage the development and ambitions of the women around her. Mrs Taffs consistently displays commitment to volunteer education and professional development investing significant time and effort to deliver training courses for Radio Operators and Watch Officers from all seven Northern Rivers Regional Units to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge for their roles.

As a senior Marine Rescue Radio and Watch Officer, Mrs Taffs is usually the first point of contact for boaters in need of rescue and assistance who are often in high levels of stress. This requires maintaining constant communications with the boater to keep them calm and provide instructions over the radio while rescue craft reach the vessel. In her role she is responsible for incident activations and the tactical response for distress and urgency calls.

Mrs Taffs constant readiness has seen her respond to distress calls from boaters in trouble on the water at all times of the day and night. In 2021 in her role as Watch Officer she demonstrated great professionalism and flawless teamwork in the successful life-saving rescue operation of SV Mystic, a 43ft steel ketch with three people on board.

She has played a pivotal role in the unit’s operations to save lives on the water, including many Wooli bar rollovers and responded to numerous life-threatening emergencies, such as a man overboard from the vessel Del Segno, off North Solitary Island at night in 2011, in which one life was lost and another saved, the loss of the sailboat Pelgram II a MAYDAY operation in 2014 and the rescue of the sailing vessel Bullwinkle that smashed onto rocks in 2015.

Mrs Taffs has contributed in a most distinguished manner to the safety of the NSW boating community serving with distinction, dedication and commitment to the highest standards of service and saving lives on the water.

Raymond Jones – Marine Rescue Shoalhaven

Jones has given meritorious service to the NSW community as a volunteer member of the Marine Rescue Shoalhaven Unit for more than a decade. His professionalism, commitment and skill have directly contributed to the safety of the boating public on Shoalhaven waterways.

A qualified Marine Rescue Master, Mr Jones places the highest priority on the safety of his crew members and boating community, particularly when operating in dangerous conditions at night, in rough seas or unfavourable weather. He has led numerous challenging search and rescue operations in response to traumatic emergencies.

Mr Jones is a quiet achiever and never seeks thanks or accolades. In January 2016, Mr Jones was requested to take on the role of Training Officer and assist with other administration roles at the Shoalhaven Unit. These responsibilities were in addition to his normal rescue vessel Crew and Watch Officer operations.

He remains the Unit’s Roster Officer, Training System Officer, Assessor, Membership Officer and Training Officer while also continuing his operational on water duties.

Mr Jones has recorded hundreds of hours of sea time and is a skilled and respected rescue vessel Master who makes himself available around the clock to respond to emergencies on the water. He has been involved in numerous rescue missions, often in dark and dangerous conditions to return those in trouble safely to their families and friends.

As vessel Master in 2013, Mr Jones was tasked to rescue three spear fishers from the water after their vessel overturned off Crookhaven Heads in rough conditions. All casualties were rescued and taken to safe haven while he was also involved in a protracted night search for a missing rock fisherman in perilous conditions off Beecroft Head. The search went well into the night in very rough seas but despite all best efforts, the fisherman was never recovered.

In 2022, Mr Jones rescued two paddle boarders and a dog that had been swept out to sea across the Crookhaven bar.

In 2019 in his Watch Officer role, Mr Jones was overseeing the night shift in the Radio Room when a yacht requested assistance for a medical emergency off Jervis Bay. Mr Jones organised for a Marine Rescue NSW vessel to transfer the person to shore where they were assisted by NSW Ambulance paramedics. He then assisted the yacht’s crew to navigate to a safe berth within Jervis Bay.

Mr Jones is held in the highest regard by the members of the Marine Rescue Shoalhaven Unit and the local boating community.

For more information visit www.marinerescuensw.com.au