- Published:
- Sunday 31 July 2016
Volunteers, nippers, clubs and trainers have been recognised at Life Saving Victoria’s annual Awards of Excellence dinner.
Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino presented the awards on Saturday night, and congratulated Life Saving Victoria’s 31,000 volunteers on their commitment and dedication to keeping Victorians safe around water.
Daryl Moss from Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club was awarded the Graeme Long Medal for Victoria’s Volunteer of the Year for his achievements across the 2015–16 season.
Following on from this award, Mr Moss is now Victoria’s representative for Surf Life Saving Australia’s Volunteer of the Year at the national awards.
Michael Henderson from Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club was presented the John Wishart Memorial medal as Victoria’s Lifesaver of the Year in recognition of his contribution to lifesaving development.
The Life Saving Victoria Awards of Excellence are held each year to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the volunteers who keep Victorians safe at the beach and around our waterways.
With more than two million people visiting the state’s patrolled beaches over the last summer, lifesavers played a critical role in preventing drowning deaths and injuries in Victorian communities.
This includes almost 500 rescues, 1,650 first aid incidents and over 42,500 preventative actions during the previous summer patrol season.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino
“Our lifesavers dedicate countless hours to patrolling beaches and waterways across Victoria and these awards are a great way to recognise them and the work they do.”
“Lifesavers work hard to prevent drownings and ensure that people are playing it safe by the water. Testament to their skill and dedication is the fact that not a single person has drowned while swimming between the flags.”
“I commend the award winners and everyone involved with Life Saving Victoria for the work they do to keep our beaches and waterways safe.”