  “At around 6pm on March 9, lifeguards at Ahipara Surf Rescue were alerted to two divers trapped on rocks under the cliffs, west of Tapotupotu. The men had been stranded for more than five hours, wearing only lightweight wetsuits and they were exhausted from their attempts to get back to the beach.”Dear Friend, We need your help! Donate Now Every year, around our coastline, surf lifesavers perform rescues like this. The lifeguards, Anthony Walker, Thom Anderson and Kate Clarke, battled fading light, three metre swells and poor visibility to locate the divers.  It was too dangerous to get the Rescue Boat close to the rocks, so they faced a 100m swim out to the stranded pair. Anthony swam to the rocks first, through pummelling waves and strong currents, to get to the men. One day it might be you or someone you know, who is rescued. Yet all this work is done by volunteers and that is why we need your help. The Lifesavers Foundation was established in 2016 by several prominent civic and business leaders to bring about greater community support of surf life saving across Auckland, Waikato and Northland regions where 40% of all surf lifeguard activity occurs. The Lifesavers Foundation exists to raise funds to put towards the purchase and maintenance of essential equipment, and specialist training, that makes this inspirational and dedicated work possible. From patrol towers and beach vehicles to rescue boats, from resuscitation equipment to the new weapon in our life saving armoury, a Digital Radio Network, we need to raise funds to keep this essential service going. You can help by making even a small donation. Think that your donation becomes a rescue tube or contributes to a handheld radio. Think that it will help one of the 17 surf lifesaving clubs in the Northern Region having access to a digital radio network. The regional radio network is to surf life savers what the 111 emergency telephone number is to the public and emergency services. Every single surf rescue and beach incident managed by surf life savers is coordinated and controlled via the regional radio network. It is the surf life savers’ lifeline to other emergency services, and provides surf lifeguards with a vital connection to back-up and safety when operating in treacherous, often isolated conditions.  The impact of your support will go on year after year, and that is why we appeal to you now to help us. You can be a vital part of the support crew.
We can’t all be the person reaching over the side of a rescue boat pulling a struggling swimmer to safety. We can’t all be the team that uses all their skills to resuscitate an unconscious victim. But we can all be supporters of their work. Please click the donate button above to support the new Digital Radio Network. Your gift of $25, $50 or an especially generous $75 will ensure our lifeguards are well equipped to help ensure the safety of your family and friends and visitors to our surf beaches over summer. I would like to thank you in advance for the generous donation to the Lifesavers Foundation. It will help save lives and keep visitors safe in, on and around our surf beaches. It is the greatest gift of all to save another’s life.  Dave Lockwood Chief Executive Officer The Lifesavers Foundation |
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