By TANIA PHILLIPS
IT IS hard to imagine Marine Rescue Point Danger without Bernie Gabriel.
The 78-year-old foundation member has held just about every position imaginable at the group – once known as Point Danger Air Sea Rescue.
For the past three years, he’s been unit commander of the group that he helped set up five decades ago. But this week the dedicated commander hands over the role (not that this mean’s retirement – it is hard to imagine that Bernie know the meaning of that word).
Mr Gabriel dedicated 50 years of his life to protecting boaties in the district, as head of Marine Rescue Point Danger.
Tweed Mayor Barry Longland met with Mr Gabriel on Thursday to honour the retiring commander’s commitment to the role and to welcome the new commander, Glenda Ashby, to the position.
“Their dedication to marine rescue and the contributions of the unit’s other 130 volunteers play an invaluable role in protecting the safety of local boat users,” Cr Longland said.
“At a time when many organisations are struggling to find volunteers, Bernie and Glenda are shining examples of the selfless and often vital services provided by many people in our community.”
Glenda has been with the organisation for 14 years and has held the position of treasurer for the past three years as well as helping out in a number of other roles.
However, it is an end of an era for the organisation which Mr Gabriel was instrumental in creating, after he identified the need for a dedicated marine rescue service in the area.
Back then, in the 1960s, Mr Gabriel was operating a boat hire business near the old Jack Evans Porpoise Pool. And when two of his customers took the wrong turn and had to be rescued as they headed out to sea, it motivated him to talk to Jack Evans about forming a rescue association, and Air Sea Rescue (ASR) Tweed Heads was formed.
As a skipper for more than 20 years, Mr Gabriel has taken part in many rescue operations, particularly on the hazardous Tweed River bar, and assisted countless skippers who found themselves in trouble on the water.
He also held the position of chief controller for more than 11 years, chief training officer and vice-president of Air Sea Rescue for 14 years. Mr Gabriel has been the Unit Commander of Marine Rescue Point Danger for three years and is a Life Member of Marine Rescue NSW.
But don’t think retiring as commander will really mean an end to Mr Gabriel’s long connection with the group, based at the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse.
He just has a new more informal title now ’officer for special projects’.
Such long and distinguished service hasn’t gone without reward, not that this has ever been his motivation. Last year, he received Emergency Service Medal for outstanding service and in 2000 was presented with a Federation Medal for Services to Marine Rescue.
“There is tremendous satisfaction gained from ensuring people get back to land safely, and we have never had a fatality when we’ve received a call-out,” he said.
“It gets in your blood, that feeling you’re doing something really worthwhile for the community.
“The area continues to have one of the best marine rescue services on the east coast. We have had so many dedicated volunteers over the years, providing a highly efficient service which has been a great assurance for local people and visitors to the area.”
