Chopper crew gives lessons on water safety

Students meet the helicopter crew.

A life-saving chopper touched down at Haileybury in Keysborough for a water safety lesson.
The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter visited on Tuesday 21 November to highlight the role it plays in patrolling Victoria’s coastline and providing back-up support for state emergencies and search and rescue (SAR) operations.
The crew talked to students about scheduled aerial coastline patrols that operate on weekends and public holidays from mid-November until Easter Monday.
The choppers are equipped to assist in shark patrols, beacon location (EPIRB homing), static line rescues, SAR for lost swimmers, missing boats and fishermen in distress, and inland emergencies.
Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter crew members are also lifesaving volunteers and educated children on the importance of water safety as the weather warms up.
Life Saving Victoria operations manager Greg Scott said children had all spotted the red chopper in the sky, but to learn about what it offered was a real eye-opener for them.
“The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter crew are well placed to share their helicopter rescue stories and highlight the important water safety messages as they do,” he said.