Eden volunteer named Marine Rescue NSW Officer of the Year
by Marine Rescue NSW 12 Aug 2024 01:10 PDT
MRNSW Officer of the Year Eden volunteer Nancy Weatherman with MRNSW Commissioner Alex Barrell © Marine Rescue NSW
Marine Rescue Eden Deputy Unit Commander and Radio Operator Nancy Weatherman has been crowned Marine Rescue NSW's Officer of the Year at the prestigious Rotary Districts of NSW Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA) which were held at Bankstown Sports Club last night (10 August 2024).
Ms Weatherman was presented the honour and supported by fellow Marine Rescue NSW finalists, Merimbula Deputy Unit Commander and Coxswain Sonia Teston, Port Jackson Training Systems Officer Kelli Jovanovski, Port Macquarie Coxswain and Maintenance Manager David Bigeni (BA-GENIE) and Youth Scholarship finalist Port Jackson's Sophie Baker.
Ms Weatherman said she was shocked to receive the award and paid tribute to her fellow volunteers at Marine Rescue Eden.
"I am very pleased and very honoured but it has taken a team to get me where I am tonight, it wasn't just me, it was everyone at the Eden unit that helped me get here," she said.
The Eden Deputy Unit Commander said she enjoys volunteering with Marine Rescue NSW and helping South Coast boaters.
"They (the boaters) know that someone has got their back, if something happens, I'm the link between them having a bad day and getting home safely.
"Marine Rescue NSW Radio Operators are the people who take the call when things don't go the way a boater had hoped.
"They help coordinate and manage the communications for the rescue response," Ms Weatherman said.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell commended the dedication and skill of the Service's finalists.
"It is wonderful to be with our RESCA finalists tonight to celebrate their contribution to Marine Rescue NSW, not only with their peers from Marine Rescue NSW but with their peers from right across the emergency services network in New South Wales."
The Commissioner said Ms Weatherman was a very worthy winner.
"Nancy has been an outstanding leader at Marine Rescue Eden, she is a radio operator and works tirelessly behind the scenes in fundraising and administration to make sure that our life saving capability is there to support the local community.
"While we are here to celebrate Nancy's achievement she is one of over 3,400 volunteers right across the state who give up their time tirelessly in support of the community of New South Wales.
"Boaters across the state can rest assured that Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are here 24/7, 365 days of the year to make sure that they can enjoy the state's waterways safely," Commissioner Barrell said.
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
Nancy Weatherman - Marine Rescue Eden
Nancy Weatherman has demonstrated exceptional service and leadership during her 10 years with Marine Rescue Eden where she currently holds the position of Deputy Unit Commander. As a qualified Radio Operator, she has provided vital communications support to the boating community and rescue agencies in the strategically important region of Twofold Bay and beyond.
Throughout her service, Ms Weatherman has previously held the role of Unit Commander and is instrumental in fundraising, community engagement, and member recruitment. Her efforts were particularly crucial during the transition of the Eden unit from a Radio Base to managing its first rescue vessel in 2022.
Ms Weatherman's leadership and mentorship have been invaluable, particularly in supporting and encouraging the development of female members within Marine Rescue NSW.