Far South Coast surf lifesavers rallied together to help those stranded as bushfires ravaged the small coastal town of Tathra on Sunday.
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Members of the Bermagui, Tathra and Pambula clubs – all a part of the Far South Coast branch – were among the first to lend a hand.
Bermagui surf club was turned into a make-shift evacuation centre in a matter of hours and more than 300 stranded people were offered support with accommodation, food, water and medical assistance.
A number of inflatable rescue boats and jet skis from Tathra and Pambula SLSCs responded to the call for help to support emergency services, taking to the Bega River to standby in the event people needed to be evacuated by water.
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Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce praised those involved in the response to the fires.
“Surf Life Saving has a strong presence in the Tathra area and we will be doing everything possible to support our members and the wider community who have been touched by the fire,” Mr Pearce said.
“We have heard reports that a number of our surf lifesavers have themselves lost or sustained damage to their homes,” he said.
Other clubs in the region have already offered to support with patrols this weekend at Tathra if required to relieve patrolling members rostered on duty.
Members who have been involved in the fire operations will be offered critical incident support or counselling if required.
