It’s being called a game changer for a volunteer search and rescue unit that responds to calls on Lake Ontario from bases in Grimsby and Stoney Creek.
GAMRU South Shore Search and Rescue has recieved the donation of an infrared imaging system, from the regional arm of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Doug Mepham, a spokesperson for GAMRU, says it’s “very expensive,” something they’ve wanted for a long time and “something that changes the game for us.”
“It’s an imaging system that spots people, objects in the water based on their heat signature,” says Mepham.
“On a nasty night when you can’t see very far ahead of you, this camera can look far into the distance and see people in the water, maybe an engine, something that would give us a hint where our target is.”
Mepham says GAMRU volunteers will also be equipped with new helmets, medical equipment bags, life jackets and other crucial safety equipment this boating season.
He says those enhancements are the result of private sector donations from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation of Canada and BCM (Bertie & Clinton Mutual) Insurance.
GAMRU performed a record 43 rescues in 2020.
Mepham has attributed the increase to more people venturing out on the water during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as inexpensive personal watercraft like paddleboards and kayaks gain in popularity.
He stresses that “more people translates into more emergencies.”