The Iroquois Marine Search and Rescue Unit (IMSAR) is officially in service, bridging a gap along the St. Lawrence River for emergency responses on water. The Iroquois, Ont.- based unit is run entirely by volunteers. Unit leader John Bridge says they are equipped to respond to broken boats, boats in danger, distressed people in the water and more. “Any kind of emergency that you can think of on the water, we will respond to, it’s basically we’re Coast Guard Auxiliary saving lives on the water. It’s what we do,” he said. Before the IMSAR was in service, the next nearest coast guard dispatches were nearly 100 kilometres in either direction along the river. With their presence, any emergency in their region will have a dramatically faster response. “We’ve sort of set a boundary to it from Iroquois to Prescott to the west and Iroquois to Long Sault to the east,” said Bridge. “This stretch of the seaway was an area of need for search and rescue.” Because the IMSAR works on a volunteer basis, their funds are limited. The unit partakes in community fundraisers to cover fuel costs, maintenance, new equipment and the extensive training the volunteers are required to have.
