Members of the allvolunteer Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 8 keep the waters around Delta safe.
The unit has been providing marine search and rescue services and boating safety education for the past 40 years.
Trained crews respond to all kinds of situations in the Strait of Georgia, from towing a boat when it runs out of gas to rescuing surfers from high winds to saving the lives of those capsized at sea.
Volunteers also do boat inspections as well as visit schools, local groups and yacht clubs to teach proper safety procedures.
Station 8 - Delta is the only Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue unit in B.C. that has its boat - The Spirit of Delta IV - stationed in the United States. From that base in the Point Roberts Marina, it sends teams of four to six members led by a captain, called a coxswain, to respond to boating emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
A coxswain for the past four years, Dale Anaka says he joined because he wants to help people and give back to the community.
"It's also a way of saying thank you to the community and to the fellow mariners and people who got into distress," Anaka says. "I'm just glad to be able to be of assistance and help them out."
The unit is not funded by government, so it relies on fundraising events. It will be holding its second annual Tour de Duck in September in which yellow rubber ducks race on the Fraser River.
Anyone who wants to volunteer can call 604-205-8955 or email [email protected].
