Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue

Happy New Year to all our shipmates, friends and family. All the best in 2021! Team obsr.ca #rcmsar33... #OakBayLifeboat #OakBaySeaRescue #SavingLivesOnTheWater #Volunteers #JoinUs #RCMSAR See more

Thank you, Veterans.

It’s National Volunteer Week! Let’s take a moment to cheer for all of Canada’s volunteers who provide vital support to keep our communities healthy and safe, whether virtually or on the front lines. Thank you! #CheersToVolunteers #NVW2020

Great joint training with Station Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue - Station 35 Victoria the other night... towing evolutions in YYJ harbour, plus pacing exercises off the waterfront. Bravo Zulu crews! #SavingLivesOnTheWater #rcmsar

https://youtu.be/qPtrIOlGXbk

https://youtu.be/qPtrIOlGXbk With Baynes Crew

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2020 to all our friends, partners, volunteers and supporters. Thank you for your commitment to help #SaveLivesAtSea. Our crews couldn’t do it without you!

The #TetrisChallenge is sweeping the globe. Emergency services are displaying the equipment they need to do their jobs. Here’s what’s inside an RCMSAR Type 1 rescue boat. https://youtu.be/qPtrIOlGXbk... @rcm_sar @OakBayFireDept @oakbayreserves @OakBayPolice @sfd_charitable @saanichpolice @oak_bay_news @saanich.news @oakbaymarina @rvicyc @oakbayfirefighterscharitable @MurdochOakBay @hazel oak bay #SAR #SavingLivesOnTheWater

We are a group full of passionate volunteers. Visit us at www.obsr.ca for more information on volunteering with us!

This week is National Drowning Prevention Week. Kids Don't Float Boards are available in partnership with RCM SAR, at many Marinas and ports. Borrow a PFD for your little ones next time you visit Oak Bay Marina or RVYC!

Today’s the day! Sausage Fest 2019 noon-9pm at Willows Park beach. The Oak Bay Firefighters Charitable Foundation has partnered with Oak Bay Sea Rescue to help fund aging equipment for RCMSAR Station 33 Oak Bay. Come check out this very family friendly event and support your local firefighters. #oakbayfirefighterscharitablefoundation #oakbay #oakbaytourism #oakbaynews #rcmsar #oakbayvillage

Come visit us and support a good cause! Willow’s beach this Saturday.

Pacing/boarding practice with RCMSAR33 Alpha and Bravo boats.

Check out our pics from last week's pacing training with the Victoria Coast Guard Station!

Our crews will be working with the Oak Bay Fire Fighters at Sausage Fest June 22nd. Come join us for family fun!

Oak Bay Sausagefest Will Buoy Sea Rescue Program OAK Bay News, June 14, 2019 https://issuu.com/blackpress/docs/i20190614040756195

RCM SAR Stn 33- Oak Bay Sea Rescue Society was so lucky to place 2nd in the Oak Bay Tea Party Parade today. Come visit Bobby the Safety Boat and our crew members at the Oak Bay Tea Party this weekend!

Stn 33 members are looking forward to the Oak Bay Tea Party next weekend, June 1st and 2nd. Come find us working at the Baron of Beef stand and look for us on the water both days! http://www.oakbayteaparty.com/

SAR 33 members are looking forward to the Oak Bay Tea Party June 1st and 2nd. Come find our members working at the Baron of Beef and look for us on the water both days! http://www.oakbayteaparty.com/

#rcmsar33 crew at #swiftsure2019 start line...

"Wear your lifejacket this boating season, you will" May the Fourth Be With You!

Station 33 crew members completed their annual cruiser suit testing and recovery training last month, in preparation for the upcoming summer season. If you are interested in joining a SAR crew in Oak Bay, visit www.obsr.ca. We are recruiting!

Station 33 Oak Bay participated in joint training with the Oak Bay Fire Department earlier this week. Huge thanks to the firefighters for sharing their knowledge and practicing rescue/ recovery techniques with us at Cattle Point!

Hello Station 33 followers! You are invited to a fun family event on Saturday, August 25th, 11am-4pm at the Marina. OBMG are generously donating proceeds from the day to the OBSR New Vessel Campaign. Our current boat, OBSR II, is 16 years old and must be replaced by the new Type 1 Fast Response Vessel which will provide our crew with added safety and the ability to handle longer, more complex missions.... Our crew will be there with the current boat, our display tent and some interesting characters the kids will enjoy meetingBobby the Safety Boat and Rescue Bear. There will be plenty of fun things for the grown-ups including a charity Bingo with great prizes generously donated by Oak Bay Bikes, the Pennyfarthing and Vis-à-Vis, De'lish, Cobbs Bakery, Butchart Gardens and other great local businesses. Hope to see you there!

Great training with our Canadian Coast Guard partner CCGS Cape Calvert and RCMSAR Oak Bay crews, followed by joint call-out to search for a kite-sailor. Great to have you and your team in Victoria! #SavingLivesOnTheWater #HappyCanadaDay

Well done on yesterday's rescue, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue - Station Oak Bay! We are lucky to have you in the area.

...and don't forget, we're always recruiting! http://www.cbc.ca//attracting-more-women-to-the-canadian-c

Station 33 received a Mayday call on Saturday for a person in the water in Oak Bay. Here's more on the story: http://www.oakbaynews.com//do-you-have-time-to-save-a-life/

SAR has no borders. Last night, around 6:30pm, RCMSAR Station Oak Bay was tasked by JRCC to attend to a 60' research vessel taking on water, last known position... off Lime Kiln Point, San Juan Island, Washington State. The assistance request came from the US Coast Guard as our Oak Bay Station was the closest asset at the time; USCG assets were also deployed. Crew got underway from Oak Bay approx. 15 minutes after receiving the page out and quickly made their way across Haro Strait. The USCG Dolphin Helicopter from STA Port Angeles located the vessel and was circling overhead alerting the crew of her location. RCMSAR Station Oak Bay came alongside the vessel, spoke with the Captain, and noted about 18" of water ingress and a slight list. Assisting with the de-watering pump and escort into Roche Harbour, Washington, where the vessel captain was able to safely anchor and monitor the water ingress. Well done to all involved! Photo Credit: USCG STA Port Angeles. This image was not an actual image of the SAR event.

Bravo Zulu to our comrades in the Northwest Territories! Certainly challenging conditions faced by the Inuvik Coast Guard Auxiliary Search and Rescue at this time of year.

Dear Oak Bay Residents, If you are planning to sign-up for the TELUS PureFibre network, please consider selecting the Oak Bay Sea Rescue Society (OBSRS). https://fibre.telus.com/fibreforgood/oakbay/contribute/

Two thumbs up for Gonzales crew for the rescue of a jet-skier that was disabled by some kelp. Follow-up note from jet-skier: "Thanks for your help pulling me off that weed bed and the tow into a beach to safely remove the debris from my impeller on my Jet-ski. Thanks again for the great work I definitely will support you in the future"

Missing Person April 21, 2017 Oak Bay Police are requesting the public’s help in the location of 56-year-old Ronald Merner. Mr. Merner was last seen at 8:00 pm on April 20th at his home. It is believed that Mr. Merner had gone to the McNeil Bay area at Beach Dr and St Patrick St in the Municipality of Oak Bay. This is uncharacteristic behaviour for Mr. MERNER and is cause for concern. If located please contact police immediately.

Just a note that our station also has a junior program...

We had a GREAT day pacing with SAR 36 Sidney the other day. Bravo Zulu to both crews.

March 30th - 0944h After breaking down and spending the night at the Vantreight Island dock, two young men and their boat were returned to Oak Bay Marina thanks to Gonzales Crew.

Yesterday we cleaned up and doused the remnants of two bonfires on an islet near Griffin Island. This was following a late Friday night call for a vessel that had drifted away from a couple that had setup camp. After extinguishing the bonfire they had at the time, the couple was extracted from shore and reunited with their boat. Sunday, we found two smoldering fires and garbage strewn across the beach. We collected the garbage and ensured the fires were out.

OAK BAY SEA RESCUE SOCIETY DOES NOT USE TELEMARKETING Over the years we have occasionally heard complaints of telemarketers soliciting funds for search and rescue with the implication that your donation will support marine rescue. Today (March 16, 2017) a story in the Times Colonist has alerted us to a recent concern with alleged questionable telemarketing practices. KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT US... Oak Bay Sea Rescue Society is a non-profit registered charity that does not use telemarketers to raise funds. We don’t want to disturb you, and it’s important to us that your donation go directly to support our volunteers and not be used to pay a telemarketing firm. All communications to our valued supporters and donors come from our internal Fundraising Team and have been vetted by our Board of Directors. Should you wish to contact us with any questions about our fundraising, you can reach us at: [email protected] or by phone (see "About" on this FB page). ******** If you receive a phone call from an organization asking for money for search and rescue we recommend you ask them for the organization’s name and charity number, as well as their contact information. If you are unsure about anything, do your due diligence before donating. You can also file a complaint to Canada Revenue Agency: E: [email protected] P: 1-800-267-2384 F: 613-954-8037 A: Charities Directorate, Canada Revenue Agency, Ottawa, ON K1A 0L5

Congratulations to Alex Bettenhausen for completing RHIOT! Alex is a dedicated member of our station and has responded to 20 missions over the past 4 years. Well done Alex!

Today we are celebrating a remarkable achievement of one of our SAR family members. Ford Smith has been selected as a Loran Scholar! Joining as a junior member two years ago, Ford quickly became an active on-call crew member. He also leads our community engagement as our Events Coordinator. Congratulations Ford! http://www.loranscholar.ca/2017-loran-scholars/

If you would like to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to dive in a submarine, please contact us on our page or email us at [email protected]

Tonight we are celebrating Alex Muir's long service and retirement from Coxswain. He has been a member for 33 years and has saved many lives. He will continue to contribute to our organization from shore. Congratulations Alex!

Heritage Crew retrieved this canoe off of Gonzales Bay early this morning after receiving a report from a concerned citizen. It was tied to a log so we assume it was blown off a beach during the storms. If you recognize it, please contact us.

The fishing fleet is heading in, likely in anticipation of the incoming storms. Please take extreme caution around our local waters over the next 4-5 days. Sto...rm surges and large waves can still appear even though the wind may appear to have calmed down. Viewing the powerful waves is exciting and exhilarating, but stay well back and enjoy! Our volunteers will remain on-call as always. However for the safety of our crews, please take care of yourself and don't put yourself in harms way.

Station 1 dropped by last week to give us a look at the new Type I boats. Station 33 is currently fundraising to get our own!

The Fall storm season is upon us! We are preparing for strong winds later this week and we suggest you do the same. ************* Special Weather Statement from Environment Canada: ... The first in a series of powerful October storms will approach the BC coast late Wednesday night bringing heavy rains and strong winds. A second storm is expected early Friday while a third will make landfall later on Saturday. Rainfall will be heavy at times. Total rainfall accumulations from these storms may exceed 200 mm for West and Inland areas of Vancouver Island. Inner coastal regions may exceed 100 mm with even higher amounts near the mountains. Strong winds will also accompany these storms and at times may exceed 80 km/h over exposed coastal areas. As each storm develops and approaches the coast, details concerning the precise storm track and intensity will become clearer. Weather warnings will very likely be issued for multiple regions throughout the next several days beginning on Wednesday, as the first storm approaches. https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html

Alpha crew packaging Oscar with SAR 33 standing off in the background waiting to extract the dummy