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Marynissen Estates supports search and rescue

Randy Kaassen hands Julie Ends of Marynissen Estates a certificate recognizing the winery’s support of the local search and rescue volunteers and the work they do.
Randy Klassen
Randy Kaassen hands Julie Ends of Marynissen Estates a certificate recognizing the winery’s support of the local search and rescue volunteers and the work they do. (Randy Klaassen)

Volunteers of the local Civil Air Search And Rescue Association recently held their annual membership meeting, at which those in key leadership roles were recognized for their extra contributions to the organization.

On behalf of Marynissen Estates, retail manager Julie Enns presented some  wine donations to the community volunteers in appreciation for their dedication to saving lives. 

During the online meeting Alex Cuberovic, CASARA Niagara president, acknowledged those who contribute to the charity’s operations, “behind the scenes.”

“Without those who provide leadership to our 30 volunteers, we would not be able to maintain a 24/7/365 readiness for call outs,” he said.

“These roles are everything from bookkeeping to washroom cleaning; from instructors to those who maintain vehicles,” Cuberovic told those attending the meeting virtually. 

CASARA Niagara operates from Niagara District Airport, and is assigned to searches by Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Trenton. While aviation-focused, in the last while most of the call-outs for have been to search for people missing on Ontario lakes.In addition to conducting searches with their own aircraft and vehicles, CASARA volunteers are also called upon to support crews of 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron (Trenton), which is why NOTL residents may occasionally see the large dark green Hercules aircraft at Niagara District Airport. 

Last year members of CASARA Niagara volunteered more than 5,000 hours for training and call-outs. As a registered charity, CASARA Niagara depends on community donations for their base operations. For more information visit http://caresniagara.ca. 

Local air search and rescue volunteers Randy Klaassen, shown looking out the window of a Hercules out of Trenton, and Stewart Harris joined members of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, based in Trenton, in the Hercules aircraft early in the morning of Friday, June 17. They were asked to be spotters in the search for a boater who had gone out fishing the morning before, and hadn’t returned home. The OPP, NRP and Canadian Coast Guard were also involved in the search, along with three Niagara volunteers who went to Dunnville to search with a drone. CBC reported the 74-year-old man’s body was found in Lake Erie June 22.